[identity profile] theidolhands.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] 1word1day
lith·o·pe·di·on [lith′əpē′dē·ən]:
origin: (10th Century by Al-Zahrawi) Greek [λίθος παιδίον]; lithos= stone + paidion= child.

noun
"Stone Baby"

A very rare medical condition describing a fossilized infant found inside of a female patient.

This occurs when a child dies from ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the womb), yet the fetus is too large to simply be reabsorbed by the body, and so a protective layer of calcium forms to separate the biological tissues and prevent infection to the mother; ostembryon; calcified fetus.

Eventually the entire corpse ossifies and may not be discovered until many years later. It's usually found during a full medical examination or from X-ray. This article describes a 92 year old woman "giving birth" to her 60 year old child, under just such circumstances.


Less than 300 cases have ever been recorded.

(no subject)

Date: 2016-02-21 09:27 pm (UTC)
med_cat: (SH education never ends)
From: [personal profile] med_cat
Very interesting; never heard of this before.

(no subject)

Date: 2016-02-22 09:36 pm (UTC)
med_cat: (Default)
From: [personal profile] med_cat
I certainly did, both the word and the story in the link; thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2016-02-22 04:38 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] calzephyr77.livejournal.com
The human body never fails to fascinate!

(no subject)

Date: 2016-02-22 05:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] slfcllednowhere.livejournal.com
This is REALLY WEIRD.

(no subject)

Date: 2016-02-22 08:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] trellia-chan.livejournal.com
Whoa!!!! O_O That's amazing.

(no subject)

Date: 2016-02-22 10:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] trellia-chan.livejournal.com
I'm trying to imagine how it must have been for this lady, having no choice but to go on with her life and ignore it for so many years!

Al-Zahrawi is certainly worth remembering. I think there are an awful lot of people out there who don't even know there was once a Golden Age of Islam.
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