Bilateral Upper Limb Amelia in a Neonate in North-Western Nigeria: Case Report and Review of Literature

Amelia affects approximately 0.05 to 0.09 out of every 10,000 newborn babies. The complete absence of a limb may occur in isolation or as a part of multiple congenital malformations. The condition is uncommon and very little is known with certainty about the etiology, It could also be sporadic and can be caused by teratogens such as thalidomide, alcohol, vascular compromise by amniotic bands and maternal diabetes mellitus. Amelia's genesis has also been linked to various types of heredity.

We report a term female neonate delivered by a healthy 30-year-old primipara in North-Western Nigeria, with the two upper limbs completely missing at birth, other parts of the body were essentially normal. The maternal history revealed no known identifiable risk factor for Amelia. We are reporting this case because of the rarity of this congenital defect.