Bizarre! Chinese baby born with tail due to rare defect

In an extraordinary medical event, a baby in China was born with a rare physical anomaly—a tail measuring four inches extending from its back. Dr. Li, a leading pediatric neurosurgeon at Hangzhou Children’s Hospital, discovered this phenomenon shortly after the infant’s arrival. The doctor took to social media to share footage of the unusual tail, which captured widespread attention. Through MRI, it was determined that the cause was a tethered cord, a condition where the spinal cord is abnormally attached to the spine, limiting its movement and potentially leading to neurological issues.

The condition, known as tethered spinal cord syndrome, involves the spinal cord being fixed or bound to surrounding tissue, hindering its normal ability to move freely within the spinal canal. This can result in various neurological problems due to the restricted movement of the spinal cord.

The revelation of the baby’s tail quickly became a sensation on Douyin, China’s version of TikTok, gathering over 34,000 likes and more than 145,000 shares soon after being posted on March 11.

Faced with the decision of whether to surgically remove the tail, doctors advised against it, despite the mother’s wishes. They reasoned that the tail’s connection to the infant’s nervous system meant that removal could cause permanent damage.

This case parallels another incident in Guyana, South America, where a newborn with a spinal abnormality was successfully operated on to remove a similar appendage, described medically as a caudal appendage, ten days after birth.

These occurrences highlight the coccyx, or tailbone, as a vestigial remnant of human evolution, signifying the tails our ancestors had, which were once functional for maintaining balance, especially in activities like tree climbing.