, a resident of the small town of La Boca in Chile, was married to Miguel, a sailor and fisherman, for 74 years. The couple led a happy life, but although they tried for a long time, nothing came of it. After her husband’s death in 2015, Estela began to complain of feeling unwell and in pain. However, it was only during a visit to the hospital that she found out what was wrong with her.
The 91-year-old found out the truth by accident. It turned out that she was carrying a calcified fetus in her belly
After a minor fall, she was taken to hospital, where it was decided to take a closer look at her health condition. During the ultrasound examination, it turned out that Estela had what looked like a tumor near her uterus. Doctors sent the 91-year-old woman for additional tests. Thanks to them, it turned out that she had not a harmless tumor in her stomach, but a “stone baby” – lithopedion.
The fetus weighed about 2 kilograms, and Estela carried it in her belly for over 60 years. She got pregnant without knowing it. For over half a century, she did not experience any ailments that could suggest that something was wrong with her body. The only symptom was the inability to get pregnant, but neither Estela nor her husband suspected that this was the problem. Due to the woman’s advanced age, doctors decided not to abort the fetus.
“The Stone Child” still shocks. Similar cases were written about as early as the 10th century
Lithopedion, from the Greek words lithoi.e. stone, i paedion, i.e. a baby, is a calcified fetus. Similar cases were described as early as the 10th century, but they still amaze us today. Such situations may occur in the case of an ectopic pregnancy. When the fetus dies at a later stage of development, the body is unable to cope with it other than by calcifying the cells, thus protecting the woman’s body. As she emphasizes in the entry devoted to “stone children”, a woman often has no idea that she is carrying a calcified fetus. The discovery happens by accident. Importantly, such situations occur very rarely. This is why similar cases are so loud in the media.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
