Mermaid Syndrome Causes?

I just read Shiloh Pepin, the girl who had "Mermaid Syndrome" has died. Poor little girl, she was only 10. Doctors had predicted she would only survive only for days after her birth at the most but the girl lived for 10 long years.
Apparently if you are born Mermaid Syndrome you have fused legs, it is a rare condition. What are the causes of this condition? Can you have surgery to correct it?

The cause of mermaid syndrome is not known for sure. It is generally related to poor prenatal care or illness. Genetic predisposition is also a possibility. The condition can be detected by sonogram and the recommended treatment, given the poor prognosis, is termination of the pregnancy.

There have been three cases of children with mermaid syndrome surviving. The most recent was a girl in Peru named Milagros Cerron. Her condition was limited to the skin and blood vessels of her legs - otherwise the bones and muscles were present and her legs could move independently under her skin. Other internal organ were also affected especially the kidneys. Fortunately, Milagros is mentally a normal child.

Scientists are not yet sure what the cause of Mermaid Syndrome is. However, they have a few theories. They claim the condition is often linked to illness during pregnancy and/or poor prenatal care. They also believe the condition may possess a genetic link.

The mermaid syndrome is a genetic disorder, it's not something that happens to you, you get born with it.