Sirenomelia

Overview
Sirenomelia or Mermaid Syndrome is a very rare congenital deformity in which the legs are fused together, giving the appearance of a mermaid. This condition is found in approximately one out of every 70,000 live births (about as rare as conjoined twins) and is usually fatal within a day or two of birth because of complications associated with abnormal kidney and bladder development and function. It results from a failure of normal vascular supply from the lower aorta in utero. Sirenomelia is associated with maternal diabetes.

There may be a connection to VACTERL association.

This disorder was formerly thought to be an extreme case of Caudal Regression Syndrome; however, it was reclassified to be considered a separate condition.

Notable cases
Only a handful of patients who did not have the usual kidney and bladder complications have survived this condition, three of them being:


 * Tiffany Yorks of the United States (born 1988) underwent successful surgery to correct her rare congenital defect, in order to separate her legs.


 * Milagros Cerrón    of Peru (her name meaning "miracles" in Spanish.) Yorks's surgeon, Mutaz Habal, worked in an advisory capacity during Cerrón's operation.


 * Shiloh Pepin of Kennebunkport, Maine in the United States