Foetus in fetu (FIF)



Published on 30 Sep 2025

  • Doctors at Buldhana District Women’s Hospital, Maharashtra, detected a rare “foetus in fetu” case, where an underdeveloped twin is enwrapped inside the body of the other in a monozygotic twin pregnancy. 

  • This rare congenital disorder, affecting about 1 in 500,000 births, results from an uneven embryo split, leaving one twin trapped within the other. 

  • The parasitic twin, dependent on the host twin for nutrients, has some fetal features but cannot survive independently. 

  • In this case, it was detected during a routine scan, and doctors successfully removed it after a C-section delivery.

Keywords:

Foetus in fetu FIF Supreme Court of India Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act 1971 Abortion Law in India Reproductive Rights Women foeticide