It sounds incredible but real mermaids exist!
It’s a fatal condition known as sirenomelia or as the ‘mermaid syndrome’.
Mermaids – fantasy aquatic creature with the upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish – have dominated legends and folklore for thousands of years. But the origin of these creatures is unknown. Could sirenomelia – medical condition where the legs fuse in the womb – be the origin idea for the mythical creature?
The concept could indeed derive from a real medical condition, expert say. Sirenomelia – also known as ‘mermaid syndrome’ – is a fatal illness, which causes a single limb to form in the place of two legs.
This rare malformation happens when the umbilical cord fails to form two arteries, leaving only enough blood supply for one limb. It is extremely rare, affecting one in 100,000 babies born, who rarely survive longer than a few days.
This is terrifying as my first baby will be born within the next days!
