Many of us have experienced or heard of a trip to the doctor’s room where the diagnosis was incorrect. That said, it is not every day that one hears about a doctor being wrong about a baby’s gender post-birth. You are obviously wondering how on earth anyone could make that sort of error, I mean, is it not pretty obvious to tell the difference between a boy and a girl? The story that follows is one from 2010, but it’s one worth retelling!
Madeleshia Hiscock and her husband, Kenny, were both very excited to learn that they were going to be parents for the second time. And, just like most parents-to-be, they could not wait to find out if it was going to be a boy or another little girl. The couple already had a daughter and were a bit disappointed to learn that they were not having a boy.
“When the first sonar scan showed it was a girl I was bitterly disappointed. After our daughter, Zadeleshia (3), I really wanted a boy.”
After another two scans, it seemed they were actually due to have a boy! Madeleshia was very excited to learn the news. But, things got a little strange after that. The happy parents prepared for their son to enter the world.
Confusion
On February 15th, the couple welcomed the birth of their new baby. When born, the doctor announced that he was a boy. They named him Kenny, after his father. However, the issues with Kenny’s gender did not end here. Not long after being born, Kenny Jnr began losing weight. As any caring parent would do, he was taken to the hospital for further examination. The doctors were left unsure, and thought that maybe Kenny was indeed a girl!
“We still weren’t sure … The doctor had told us she had too many male hormones. We were prescribed drugs and went home without really understanding what was going on. He didn’t really have a penis but an enlarged clitoris. And he didn’t have testicles; the labia had grown together.
A couple of months later, doctors confirmed that little baby Kenny. was indeed a girl. She had female reproductive organs, but the parents could not afford to do a scan to confirm. They renamed the baby Mckenzi.
A Medical Condition
It turns out that little baby Mckenzi had a medical condition known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). It can affect both boys and girls because enzyme deficiency causes abnormal hormone production by the adrenal glands.
The condition can occur in girls and boys. In girls the excess of male hormones will result in an enlarged clitoris and other aberrations in the sex organs. The condition can be very dangerous in newborns because cortisol and aldosterone help regulate a baby’s salt levels.
Dr David Segal
Unfortunately, there is no cure for CAH, meaning that anyone who has it, needs to be monitored for the rest of their life. The condition affects one in every 15,000 people. Even though baby Mckenzi was born with CAH, she is reportedly living a wonderfully happy life.
Sources
- “Congratulations it’s a boy… no, a girl: Couple thought baby with rare condition was wrong sex for a month.” Daily Mail. December 21, 2010
- “Our boy is a girl.” News24. August 21, 2010
A Secret Life of Mom Highlight Story: Sometimes there are tales that are just too good, too beautiful, or too unbelievable to keep locked away. That’s why we scour the archives and bring some of them back to experience again. They may surprise you, make you smile, or even shed a tear, but they’re always meant to add a little extra to your day.