A Chinese baby was born with a four-inch tail protruding from its back, leaving medical professionals astonished due to the rarity of the condition. The deputy chief physician of Paediatric Neurosurgery, Dr. Li, identified the condition after the baby’s birth at Hangzhou Children’s Hospital. Dr Li shared a video on social media showcasing the unusual appendage emerging from the baby’s posterior. He suspected that the growth resulted from incomplete degeneration and suggested that the child had a tethered cord, a suspicion later confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
The soft, boneless protrusion measures approximately 10 cm (3.9 inches) in length. A tethered spinal cord condition occurs when the spinal cord is unusually connected to surrounding tissues, typically at the base of the spine. Normally, the spinal cord moves freely within the spinal canal, enabling regular movement and function.
When the spinal cord is tethered, its movement becomes restricted, potentially leading to various neurological issues. This rare case garnered attention on Douyin, the Chinese counterpart of TikTok, where the video amassed over 34,000 likes and more than 145,000 shares since it was posted on March 11.
Despite the mother’s encouragement for doctors to intervene and remove her son’s tail, surgeons declined to operate. Their decision was based on the understanding that since the tail was connected to the baby’s nervous system, its removal would likely result in permanent damage to him. This mirrors a previous case in Guyana, South America, where surgeons successfully removed a tail from a 10-day-old baby last June. The baby boy was born with an abnormal spine, leading to the presence of a ‘tail,’ technically termed a caudal appendage.
Scientists suggest that the tailbone, or coccyx, is a remnant of our evolutionary past, no longer serving its original purpose. It serves as a reminder of our ancestral tails, which aided in balance while climbing trees.
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