PHOTOS: Woman gives birth to frog-like baby in Ekiti (Viewers discretion advised)

A woman believed to be in her 30s in Iyin Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelogun Local Government Area of Ekiti State gave birth to a strange looking frog-like baby.

The woman, (name withheld) and a mother of two, was pregnant for 13 months and was said to have undergone several tests at various private hospitals in the state where she was assured of a set of twins.

She was delivered of the baby August last year.

The condition is called Anencephaly.

Anencephaly is a cephalic disorder that results from a neural tube defect that occurs when the rostral (head) end of the neural tube fails to close, usually between the 23rd and 26th day of conception, resulting in the absence of a major portion of the brain, skull, and scalp. Strictly speaking, the translation of the Greek term to English is “no brain” (that is, totally lacking), but it is accepted that children with this disorder are born without a forebrain, the largest part of the brain consisting mainly of the cerebral hemispheres, including the neocortex, which is responsible for higher-level cognition. The remaining brain tissue is often exposed, i.e. not covered by bone or skin. With very few exceptions, most babies with this disorder do not survive.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) describes the presentation of this condition as follows: “A baby born with anencephaly is usually blind, deaf, unconscious, and unable to feel pain. Although some individuals with anencephaly may be born with a main brain stem, the lack of a functioning cerebrum permanently rules out the possibility of ever gaining consciousness. Reflex actions such as breathing and responses to sound or touch may occur.”

The cause of anencephaly is disputed. Generally, neural tube defects do not follow direct patterns of heredity, though there is some indirect evidence of inheritance, and recent animal models indicate a possible association with deficiencies of the transcription factor TEAD2. Studies show that a woman who has had one child with a neural tube defect such as anencephaly has about a 3% risk of having another child with a neural tube defect, as opposed to the background rate of 0.1% occurrence in the population at large.

The woman, (name withheld) and a mother of two, was pregnant for 13 months and was said to have undergone several tests at various private hospitals in the state where she was assured of a set of twins.

She was said to have delivered the strange creature at the General Hospital in the town through a Cesarean Section in the hospital.

The birth of the fearful baby caused a stir in the hospital as medical officials were seen discussing the strange birth , while others trooped to the hospital from the town and neighbouring communities to see the “strange baby’’

Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Wole Olugboji, confirmed the delivery.

His words; “There was a woman who gave birth to a strange baby at General Hospital Iyin. The baby is dead but the mother is okay.”