Photos: A young mum gave birth to the world's fifth "mermaid baby" but lost it just hours later

Muskura Bibi, 23, astonished doctors after giving birth to the baby with mermaid syndrome or sireomelia a rare condition which causes deformity

The baby, whose gender could not be established due to its fused legs, was only the second youngster born with Sirenomelia in India.

But doctors were unable to keep the baby alive on Wednesday and it died four hours after its birth.

"I had never seen such a baby before. It is the first case of Sirenomelia in the state and second in the country.
 

"The baby had normal formation in upper part of the body but below the waist its legs were fused together. The lower part was not developed completely," said Dr Sudip Saha, child specialist at Chittaranjan Deva Sadan Hospital in Kolkata.

Ms Bibi had not undergone ultrasound sonography and could not afford proper medication during her first pregnancy.

Dr Saha added that this meant the foetus had an improper circulation and wasn't properly nourished.

The first "mermaid baby" born in India only survived for ten minutes in 2016.