Medical experts in Lesotho are studying a highly unusual pregnancy involving a 15-year-old girl who was found to be nine months pregnant despite having a rare medical condition that typically prevents natural conception.
The teenager visited the hospital due to persistent stomach pain, where doctors discovered she had a congenital condition known as distal vaginal atresia—a rare developmental anomaly affecting approximately 1 in 4,000 to 10,000 newborn girls.
This condition results in a closed or absent vaginal opening, making natural conception highly unlikely without assisted reproductive technologies.
Upon further inquiry, doctors learned that several months earlier, the girl had sustained an abdominal injury.
Medical experts suspect that this injury may have played a role in the unusual conception.
A study published in the British Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology suggested a possible medical explanation, with experts analyzing how certain biological factors may have contributed to the pregnancy.
One theory considered was the girl’s nutritional state at the time, which could have influenced the body’s natural functions in an unexpected way.
Doctors later confirmed the baby, born weighing 2.8kg, shared a strong resemblance to the biological father, further supporting the findings.
The girl had reportedly been aware of her medical condition, having faced challenges with traditional reproductive health experiences. Because of this, she had not initially believed pregnancy was a possibility despite noticing changes in her abdomen.
Distal vaginal atresia is often identified in adolescence when a person does not experience expected developmental milestones. While the condition is present from birth, researchers are still working to understand its genetic and environmental causes.