Girl born with 8 limbs conscious, smiles

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BANGALORE, (India), Nov 9(Agencies): A 2-year-old Indian girl born with four arms and four legs regained consciousness Friday, wiggled her toes and smiled at her parents, 48 hours after massive surgery removed the extra limbs, doctors said. Lakshmi, who has been revered by some in her village as a reincarnation of the four-armed Hindu goddess she was named for, was still in intensive care. But she was "doing well" as doctors slowly stopped sedating her, said Dr. Mamatha Patil, Sparsh Hospital spokeswoman.
"She had smiled at us and moved her limbs," Patil said. Besides her toes, the girl also moved her arms, Patil said.
Doctors were planning to take the girl off a respirator later Friday but were still monitoring her closely during the critical 72-hour period following the operation, she said.
Lakshmi was born joined at the pelvis to a "parasitic twin" that stopped developing in her mother's womb. The surviving fetus absorbed the limbs, kidneys and other body parts of the undeveloped fetus.