You may have heard many wondrous stories about animals with uncommon conditions. What you have probably never heard of is one being born with its heart exposed. This albino baby turtle was born with such a condition. It is so rare that there is no scientific name for it currently. The exposed heart functions just as any normal heart would, which means that you can see it beating despite its position. Veterinary medicine is still exploring this intriguing anomaly today.
Baby Turtle with Exposed Heart
The Human Version
While the turtle’s condition is unfamiliar in the veterinary world, the world of human medicine deals with a similar condition. One in every 126,000 babies is born with a condition known as ectopia cordis. Like the baby turtle, these infants emerge with a portion of their hearts exposed. Note that there are several places the heart could end up in such scenarios. These include the abdomen, the chest, or even the neck. The chest is the most common location, and the heart usually protrudes through a split.
Human Heart Model
