Dubai : A Saudi mother has given birth to a baby boy with his heart on the right side and his liver on the left.
Doctors at the hospital of Khamees Mushait, a city in south-west Saudi Arabia, said that the birth took place normally and that there was no need for surgical intervention, local Arabic daily Okaz reported on Thursday.
Stable condition
They said that the case of organ reversal was rare, occurring only once in every million births. The baby was placed under observation in the intensive care unit of the hospital, even though his condition was stable.
However, doctors are concerned about possible health complications in the stomach and pancreas due to liver pressure on them, the daily said, citing the medical staff.
An expert on new-born children said in the development of the baby will be normal with no adverse effect on the child later on.
Dr Issam Abdelbari, head neonatologist at Medcare Hospital in Dubai, said similar cases were registered in the UAE and the babies are growing up normally.
‘God’s will’
“The problem comes if the heart and the liver are both on the right side. This will be a huge problem and then surgery is necessary (to rectify this). Both organs on one side will hamper the blood flow and oxygen supply will be less,” he said.
The doctor said such cases do not happen either because of genetics or chromosomes or because of the mother. “It is God’s will,” he said.
While doctors and scientists have no answers as to why the transposition happens, the good news is that many people born with this condition lead active lives.
