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A lithopedion baby, or stone baby!!!

This is a calcifies fetus that had retained in the maternal peritoneal cavity for 30 years!! Lithopedion is a rare obstetrical outcome of an undiagnosed and untreated advanced abdominal (ectopic) pregnancy where the fetus develops outside of the mother’s womb, mostly found incidentally. In the case of stone babies, the deceased fetus has no way to leave the body and is too large for the body to reabsorb. Instead of allowing the fetus to rot inside the abdomen and expose the mother to potential infection, her body works to calcify it — or mummify it in calcium. Calcification is essentially an accumulation of salts the human body uses as a barrier against potential infection. Once calcified, the fetus is left inside the mother, where it usually does not cause any complications. Pregnant women often complain of feeling as though they are carrying a bowling ball or a bag of bricks in their stomach instead of a baby. Most women who are pregnant can still remember the feeling. What most of us did not know is that stone babies are a real thing, called lithopedion. There have been cases worldwide that have occurred, and in many of these cases, there are women who have had uncomplicated pregnancies while still carrying the lithopedion. There are only around 300 documented cases in the world. It is incredibly, extremely rare, but it does happen. The masses, when dissected, usually have a partially to fully formed skeleton. Lithopedions may occur from 14 weeks’ gestation to full term. It is not unusual for a stone baby to remain undiagnosed for decades and found incidentally when taking plain films for various reasons.