Baby Found Growing Inside Woman's Liver In a Case of "Extremely Rare" Pregnancy [Video]

Imagine a woman going to the doctor with vaginal bleeding only to find that she is pregnant and that too in the most bizarre of ways?  This is exactly what an unnamed 33-year-old woman was confronted with when she learnt that a baby was growing in her liver!!!

In a video posted on social media, Dr. Michael Narvey, a pediatrician, shared about a case of 'ectopic pregnancy' reported in the liver of a woman. Dr. Narvey, who is affiliated with the Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba in Canada, stated in the post, "I thought I had seen it all". But he was stumped by the clip that he came across on Twitter.

"We see these sometimes in the abdomen. But never in the liver. This is a first for me. Have you ever seen this? I haven't!" said Dr. Narvey.  He initially shared the ultrasound scan images on Twitter (reposted from another user). Following this, he shared a commentary about it on TikTok, which was later shared on Facebook and has gone viral since then.

Outside the Womb

In a normal pregnancy, a fertilized egg attaches itself to the lining of the uterus, also commonly known as the womb. However, in the case of an ectopic pregnancy, a fertilized egg gets attached outside the main uterine cavity, mostly in either of the fallopian tubes (conduit structures that connect the ovaries to the uterus). However, ectopic pregnancies have been found to occur in other areas such as the abdominal cavity, cervix, ovaries, and even the diaphragm.

Nevertheless, ectopic pregnancy in the liver is considered "extremely rare".Such a pregnancy cannot be saved and usually requires removal through the use of medication or surgery. If left unaddressed, the growth of the tissue can result in potentially fatal bleeding. The symptoms of an ectopic pregnancy generally manifest between the fourth and twelfth week of gestation.

Pelvic or abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding are the first signs of such a pregnancy. It can also (or will) be accompanied by shoulder pain and discomfort during defecation or urination. The mortality and morbidity rates associated with non-tubal ectopic pregnancies—with abdominal hemorrhaging—are seven to eight times higher than those of normal pregnancies.

Baby In the Liver!

In the case of the 33-year-old woman discussed in the video, she presented at the hospital with a 14-day history of menstrual bleeding. It has also been 49 days since her last menses. Upon further examination, the doctors found something bizarre—a baby growing in her liver! Sonography revealed that the woman had an ectopic pregnancy inside the detoxifying organ.

The Sun reported that surgeons were able to save the woman's life. Sadly, they could not do the same for the growing fetus. Ectopic pregnancies in the liver, often do not survive or have disastrous outcomes. In 2012, a 25-year-old woman from India was found to have 18-week old fetus growing in her liver. However, she succumbed post-surgery.

Not short of a miracle, in 2003, a South African woman gave birth to a baby girl who had gestated in her liver. The doctors were shocked to find the woman's womb empty despite the baby being due in a week. Timely surgical intervention ensured the safe removal of the child, and also the survival of the mother and the daughter.