Fossilised Foetus
tN.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright; CAMPOBASSO (South Italy), May 15. A 72-year-old woman had discovered that for the last 37 years she has been carrying an eight-month-old baby inside her, a gynaeocologist said yesterday. The case was disclosed by Professor Vito de Palma, who said it only came to light this week when the woman came to him with abdominal pains. Professor de Palma said that 37 years ago the woman been operated on for a hysterectomy (removal of
the womb) but the surgeon had obviously not noticed that a fertilised egg had slipped out into the intestines. It had developed there for about eight months, and then died.
With the passage of time, the foetus graduHay became covered with deposits of calcium and was, in effect, totally fossilised. Professor de Palma said that about 30 similar cases had been recorded, but the length of time the foetus went unnoticed made this case exceptional.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19690516.2.23.4
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31989, 16 May 1969, Page 2
Word Count
152Fossilised Foetus Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31989, 16 May 1969, Page 2
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