The Leaf Twin

India's first 'vanishing twin' born in Bengal hospital
Tuesday September 14 2004 18:30 IST

KOLKATA: In a rare occurrence, a young mother here has given birth to what is medically termed as the 'vanishing twin', a freak delivery in which one of the twins appears to be painted on a translucent leaf-like sheath.

The rare medical wonder, not yet reported in India, was witnessed by medicos last Friday when 24-year-old Amita Dutta delivered twin babies - one healthy boy and another 'flat' lifeless form that looked more like a fossilised baby.

After the delivery, Mukherjee and Jayati Bardhan of the North Bank Diagnostic Centre scanned medical literature from across the world to find out that the occurrence, variously described as 'vanishing twin', 'twin embolisation syndrome' or Foetus Papiricus (leaf-like foetus), had not been reported from this part of the world.