This Chinese infant sports a four-inch tail sticking out from their back, stemming from a condition known as a tethered spinal cord.
The troubling aspect of all this is whether or not it's truly safe to surgically remove the child's tail, as it's intricately connected to the babies nervous system.
From Wion News:
In a remarkable medical rarity, a Chinese newborn entered the world with an unexpected feature—a four-inch tail protruding from its back, leaving medical experts astounded by the anomaly. This unusual condition was identified by Dr Li, the deputy chief physician of Paediatric Neurosurgery, shortly after the baby's birth at Hangzhou Children's Hospital. Dr Li shared a video on social media, showing the extraordinary appendage emerging from the baby's posterior. The suspected cause was incomplete degeneration, later confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to be a tethered cord.
Measuring approximately 10 cm (3.9 inches) in length, the soft, boneless protrusion stemmed from a condition known as a tethered spinal cord. This condition arises when the spinal cord becomes abnormally connected to surrounding tissues, typically at the base of the spine. In the usual scenario, the spinal cord has unrestricted movement within the spinal canal, facilitating regular movement and function.
However, when tethered, the spinal cord's movement is constrained, potentially leading to a variety of neurological complications. This unique case quickly garnered attention on Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, where the video amassed over 34,000 likes and more than 145,000 shares within days of its posting on March 11.
