Suspected to be affected by chemical radiation, a 15-day-old Iraqi baby with extra pair of hands and legs was brought to a private hospital in Noida. Seven months later, after undergoing a series of corrective surgeries, the baby now has chances to go back home. Karam, like any other cherubic boy his age, gets uncomfortable with all the eyes glaring at him. He was in his mother Guffran’s arms, while the doctors explained how tough it was to operate on Karam’s mangled insides.

Karam’s is a case of partially-absorbed conjoined twins, where a partly-developed conjoined twin’s hands were fused to Karam’s ribs, which protruded out of his abdomen, while the twin’s legs got fused to Karam’s hips. Apart from this, he had duplicate intestines, a missing kidney, and a heart defect. He also suffers from a rare disease — Polymelia — of which, medical history has records of only five to six such cases across the globe.

Karam’s father Sarmad Ahmed, who is a doctor in Baghdad, Iraq, blamed his son’s condition on the exposure of the foetus to high levels of chemical radiation and increased levels of pollution. US and its allies have been bombing Iraq since 2003.

“I suspect my son’s condition is due to exposure to high levels of pollution and radiation as a direct result of the war. None of my wife’s scans had thrown up a foetal anomaly. Only when he was born through a caesarean section, we realised that he has parts of his unborn twin inside his body,” said Sarmad.

Several scientific studies have been conducted on rising rates of cancer, childhood cancer, and genetic birth defects generated by nano-particled heavy metals and toxins prevalent in the air due to the incessant, routine bombings in Iraq.

When Karam was fifteen-days-old, he was brought to India to be examined by doctors of Jaypee Hospital in Noida.

“It was a never seen before case. I was overwhelmed at the complicity of the situation. We involved doctors from multiple teams to tackle the baby’s condition, step-wise,” said Dr Ashish Rai, Senior Plastic Surgeon, Jaypee Hospital.

The doctors, who began with removing Karam’s extra pair of hands first, were in a fix; the artery connected to his hands was also partly supplying blood to his liver. Up to 75 cms of extra intestine was removed. We also realised that he has a missing kidney and extra testes,” said Dr Abhishek, Paediatric Surgeon, Jaypee Hospital.

The first stage of the treatment was successful, but a string of ordeals awaited the baby. “When he came returned after three years to get the extra legs removed, he started turning blue,” said Dr Gaurav Rathore, Senior Orthopaedic Surgeon at the hospital. It was then discovered that the baby had a heart defect too, which was also operated.

The third surgery occurred a fortnight ago, as his extra pair of legs were surgically removed. After having endured close to a year of medical treatment, more challenges were awaiting the family. “The baby will come back to India after six months for one more heart surgery. We have explained to his father that we will need to monitor him for the next fifteen years, until he grows and walks well,” said Dr Rathore.

RARE CASE

The Iraqi baby was suffering from a case of partially-absorbed conjoined twins, where a partly-developed conjoined twin’s hands were fused to his ribs, while the twin’s legs were fused to his hips. Apart from this, he had duplicate intestines, a missing kidney, and a heart defect. He also suffers from a rare disease — Polymelia — of which, medical history has records of only five to six cases across the globe.