The maternal-fetal medicine team at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles announced an unusual pregnancy case where the fetus grew inside an amniotic sac in the abdominal cavity next to the liver. The doctors described the situation as extremely rare and dangerous, so much so that some practitioners plan to document it in a medical journal. Medical sources indicate that the rate of abdominal pregnancy is about one in 30,000 pregnancies, and cases that reach full term are much less than one in a million. The patient, Sue Lopez, a 41-year-old nurse from California, did not know she was pregnant until just a few days before giving birth.
Unusual Pregnancy
Lopez did not experience typical pregnancy symptoms such as nausea or fetal kicks, and her menstrual cycle had been irregular for years. With increasing pain and pressure in the abdomen, she underwent an examination that revealed a fully developed fetus inside an amniotic sac next to the liver, while the uterus was empty. The doctors pointed out that the sac, weighing about 22 pounds, needed to be removed with an examination of the mother and child during a joint surgical procedure. Dr. John Ozimek explained that the situation appeared as a semi-fixed implant on the lateral pelvic wall, which is dangerous but easier to handle compared to an implant in the liver.
Medical reports indicate that ectopic pregnancies account for a small percentage of total pregnancies and are rare in reaching full-term abdominal pregnancy. Published data clarifies that such cases are associated with high risks for the fetus and the mother. A study published in 2023 mentioned a case where both the mother and the child survived an ectopic pregnancy, with a warning that fetal deaths could reach about 90%, and congenital defects appear in about a fifth of the surviving children.
Birth and Recovery
On August 18, Lopez gave birth and the child was born weighing 3.6 kilograms under full anesthesia. The sac was removed during the same surgical procedure, and the mother experienced significant blood loss but received treatment and blood support to control the bleeding. Reports indicated that both the mother and child recovered well despite the challenges, and necessary care was provided to them post-birth.
It is noted that the child Rio continues to receive ongoing care and is in good health and growing normally. Rio was named after a baseball player and a character in the Street Fighter game, and he lives with his mother and his 18-year-old sister Kayla. His parents express their happiness with his growth and interaction with the family, and look forward to his continued stable family lifestyle.
