ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Fetal cannibalism

Fetal cannibalism is when a fetus (the baby that is growing inside of its mother’s womb) eats another fetus that is also in the womb. This happens very rarely in animals, and it is not something that happens in humans.

When humans have babies, they usually only have one baby at a time. Sometimes, a woman may have twins or even triplets, but each baby has its own space in the womb and gets all the food and nutrients it needs from the mother.

In animals like sharks or some types of fish, it is not uncommon for a female to have many babies at once. Sometimes, these babies will try to eat each other because they are hungry or because they see the other babies as competition for food. This is called fetal cannibalism.

It is important to remember that this is not something that happens in humans. When a woman has more than one baby, they each have their own space in the womb and get all the food and nutrients they need from the mother. Fetal cannibalism is something that is very rare in animals and is not something that happens in humans.