Some Indian children with 'tails' are worshipped, but parents didn't want this

If left untreated, this child's growth may have become cancerous

The 350g growth took three surgeons in

A baby in India born with a 12cm 'tail' has had it removed at just five days old.

The as yet unnamed child was born with a heteropagus conjoined twin, where his sibling was anatomically incomplete and had formed as a tail on his back.

He underwent a four-hour operation to remove the 350g growth, despite the fact keeping it could have given him a privileged life in India.

The Indian boy, who has yet to be named, underwent a four-hour operation to remove the 350g growth

The child was born with a heteropagus conjoined twin, where his twin was anatomically incomplete and had formed as a tail on his back

Twelve-year-old Arshid Ali Khan, or Balaji to his worshippers, has a six inch tail and Hindu followers flock to see him daily at his temple near Chandigarh, northern India.

If left untreated, this child's growth may have become cancerous, so his parents and medical team at Aarna Superspeciality Hospital, in Ahmedabad, north west India, were keen to operate.

His mother, Jamnibhen Patel, from Fatehgarh village, in Gujarat, says she was devastated her fourth child had such a deformity.

The 30-year-old said: ‘I was shocked when I saw my baby boy. His tail resembled lord Hanuman [the monkey god] but I wanted it off immediately. I was in tears and felt very sad for him.

‘I’m extremely happy he’s been operated on and doctors have told me he is now safe. I couldn’t imagine raising a son with a tail, even if people believe he’s a reincarnation of Hanuman.’

Dr Rohit Joshi, chairman of the hospital where surgery took place, said: ‘Heteropagus conjoined twins are asymmetrically conjoined twins.

[They] differ in several ways from symmetrical conjoined twins, as they have no major connection of vessels, bowels or bones.

‘It is more commonly reported in India and Africa.’

He added that such an anomaly can be detected in the prenatal period with an ultrasound and then confirmed with an MRI scan.

Doctors say heteropagus conjoined twins differ in several ways from symmetrical conjoined twins, as they have no major connection of vessels, bowels or bones

The boy's parents Jamnibhen (left) and Kanjibhai (second left) wanted the growth removed. He was treated by staff at the Aarna Superspeciality Hospital, in Ahmedabad

However the boy's father, Kanjibhai Patel, 32, a farmer earning 12,000 Rupees (£120) a month, said he could not afford any medical assistance during the pregnancy.

He added: ‘My wife has already had three other healthy children with very normal deliveries so we never expected our fourth child to be deformed.

'I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him – no child should suffer a tail. How would they go on to live a normal life?

‘My wife and I discussed it for a while and we decided it was best for his future to have it removed.

We didn’t want him to be teased at school or throughout his adulthood.

So we asked our family and community to donate or loan us where possible to help us pay the 100,000 Rupees (£1,000) for surgery. I am very happy he doesn't have a tail now.’

The little boy has now been discharged from hospital and is back at home with his family recovering.

Other Indian children, such as Arshid Ali Khan, have kept their 'tails'.

He said: ‘I love my tail. It’s a gift from God. It’s unusual but people respect me and bow before me because of it. I feel special.’

The boy's parents decided to have his 'tail' removed, despite the the fact keeping it could have given him a privileged life in India. Twelve-year-old Arshid Ali Khan (pictured), or Balaji to his worshippers, has a six inch tail and Hindu followers flock to see him daily at his temple near Chandigarh, northern India