Hope for 'little mermaid'

SURGEONS are preparing for a pioneering operation to separate the fused legs of a nine-month-old girl born in Peru with a rare condition known as sirenomelia, or "mermaid syndrome".

Milagros Cerron, dubbed the "little mermaid" because her fused legs and separated feet resemble the tail of a fish, is one of only three people in the world known to have the condition.

A team of doctors will attempt the surgery later this month at a hospital for the poor in the Peruvian capital of Lima.

Lead surgeon Luis Rubio said the team were hopeful of success. "Her relation to her surroundings is good. She is enchanting and is a wonderful joy," he said.

The girl was born in the mountain city of Huancayo, 125 miles east of Lima.

Only one in 70,000 people are born with the condition and almost none survive more than seven days because of defects in their internal organs.

Although most of Milagros’ internal organs are fine, she was born with only one kidney and a single channel for her digestive tract and genitals.

A team including trauma surgeons, plastic surgeons, cardiovascular surgeons, neurologists, gynaecologists and a paediatrician will perform the surgery, which is expected to take five hours.