The world's youngest mummy has been found in a small Egyptian coffin at a British museum.

The foetus is believed to have been no older than 18 weeks of gestation when it was preserved during an ancient burial ritual.

The discovery reveals 'just how precious the unborn child was' to the Egyptians, and how they dealt with miscarriage, historians have said.

The world's youngest mummy has been found in a small Egyptian coffin at a British museum. The foetus is believed to have been no older than 18 weeks of gestation when it was preserved during a burial ritual

The discovery reveals 'just how precious the unborn child was' to the Egyptians, historians have said. Pictured is a micro CT scan image of the upper limbs and skull of foetus