'Little Mermaid' surgery delayed amid problems

Separating the fused legs of a Peruvian baby dubbed the "Little Mermaid" because of her rare birth defect is proving trickier than expected, her doctor said.

Luis Rubio told Reuters that Milagros Cerron, who turns one on April 27, was given a blood transfusion two days ago because she had anaemia and was struggling to gain weight.

In addition, her body has rejected one of the silicone bags inserted between her legs in February as a prelude to the separation surgery.

"It's proving harder than we thought," Rubio said.

Milagros whose name means "miracles" in Spanish was born with a rare condition called sirenomelia, or "mermaid syndrome" which is usually fatal.

Tiffany Yorks, an 16-year-old American whose legs were separated when she was a baby, says she believes she is the only survivor.

Milagros' legs are trapped in a skin "sack" down to her heels, with her tiny feet splayed in a "V." Her legs have separate bones, cartilage and blood supplies and can be seen to move independently despite being joined by fat and tissue.

"We'll have to delay [the separation surgery] 60 to 80 days, [at least] until June," Rubio said. Doctors had initially hoped it could take place in March.

Doctors have been gradually pumping saline solution into the "expander" bags between Milagros' legs to stretch the skin so that there is enough to cover the wounds once her legs are cut apart.

A new silicone bag will have to be inserted to replace the one that her body rejected and doctors will have to begin pumping that full of saline solution all over again, Rubio said.

Only a handful of babies with sirenomelia have survived more than a few hours and there are few precedents for the separation surgery.

Rubio said Milagros' condition was not life-threatening, and she was in "marvellously" good spirits.