In an extremely rare case in pediatric medical history, a baby girl in Mexico was born with a tail. Doctors, nurses and even the parents were shocked to see the child born with a 2-inch-long "true tail" - a benign structure composed of connective tissue, muscle and nerves. Other than having a tail, the infant was completely healthy and was delivered by a C-section at a rural hospital in northeastern Mexico, reported the New York Post.
Her parents, who are in their late twenties were reported to be healthy during the entire period of their pregnancy. The child also did not have any complications.
The tail measuring around 5.7-centimeters long and covered with hair was sticking out at the end of her tailbone with its base slightly to the left. An X-ray done by doctors did not reveal any evidence of anomalies or bone structures inside the tail, indicating that the posterior protrusion was not a vestigial tail, reported the New York Post.
The "true tail," a benign appendage comprised of only tissue and fat, which is much rarer, with only 40 cases reported, the website said further in its report.
After two months, the doctors performed a minor operation and removed the tail. The baby did not face any complications and was discharged from the hospital on the same day.
According to a report in Daily Mail, only 195 occurrences of human "true tails" had been documented as of 2017, with the largest case measuring 20 cm (7.9 inches).
The anomaly is mostly found in boys. One in 17 babies with tails also suffer brain or skull growth related disorders.
Earlier in 2021, a Brazilian baby was born with a 12 cm-long "true human tail" with a ball on the end like a meaty medieval mace.