A 19-month-old baby in Malaysia has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, an illness which typically befalls older women.

The baby's mother, Fallarystia Sintom, realised in August that something was amiss after the child began suffering from constipation and a bloated stomach.

The baby, Daneen Auni Riksi, was also less active than usual and wanted only to be carried.

"My child was uncomfortable and since she couldn't speak yet, she only cried when she was in pain," Fallarystia, 25, was quoted as saying by Malaysian news outlet Sinar Daily.

The family, who live in Sabah, sought treatment at a hospital there, but the cancer was discovered after the baby was transferred to a specialist women's and children's hospital when her blood count dropped dramatically.

Doctors there detected a 13.5cm-long tumour, and after surgery on Oct 2, they confirmed that Daneen had stage three ovarian cancer.

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