Rare two-headed baby born in Brazil: conjoined twins share one body (with video)

[doesn't matter]

SAO PAULO, Dec 22, 2011 (AFP) - A two-headed baby born in Brazil this week is actually a set of conjoined twins sharing one body because of a rare birth defect, doctors said Thursday.

The twins, born on Monday and named Jesus and Emanuel in honor of the upcoming Christmas holiday, have distinct brains and spinal cords but share internal organs, appearing as a single baby with two heads.

Because both brains are functioning and the twins are in stable condition, doctors have ruled out any kind of surgery for the moment, according to the Santa Casa de Misericordia Hospital in the northern town of Belem.

The two babies "would be twins but ended up being joined together because of a delay in the cellular division," the hospital said.

"It's important to understand that this is two babies and not one baby with two heads," said Dr Neila Dahas, assistant director of the hospital.

The condition, known as dicephalic parapagus, is extremely rare.

Link to story and video: https://www.vancouversun.com/health...wins+share+body+with+video/5900844/story.html

 

[Esper]

I've seen something like this once before: two girls living in Minnesota who shared their body and had separate heads. Hopefully they won't have any complications and grow up to have a good life.

 

[Sydian]

Aww. Strange how things like that can happen...like Scarf said, I hope everything goes well and they can grow up and have a good life. I can't imagine being conjoined to my own twin like that though...I understand it is two babies, but even still, if it were me I know I'd probably never be treated like an individual.

 

[Nihilego]

Oh wow this is insane. They're gonna lead amazing lives, that's for sure. When I saw this first I wondered how co-ordination would work in a case like this; would one twin just get used to controlling one side of the body or what? It'd probably be really hard to learn, but given the video that Scarf linked, it's doable I guess. I hope more stories are published on these two, definitely. I'd be interested to follow them for a long time and see how life works with two individuals controlling a single body.

 

[Kura]

Why sort of surgery would they be contemplating if the babies share internal organs? .__.

 

[Mr. X]

They could try seperating them.

Both would most likely die though.

This is just something that I've been wondering about... What would happen if one side died?

 

[doesn't matter]

They could try seperating them.

Both would most likely die though.

This is just something that I've been wondering about... What would happen if one side died?

I heard a story about similar conjoined twin brothers. One died, but the other didn't want to separate, and remained attached to his dead brother. He died shortly after that.

bros4lyf ;_;

These guys seem pretty awesome: https://thehumanmarvels.com/?p=12

 

[Nihilego]

This is just something that I've been wondering about... What would happen if one side died?

I'm imagine they both die. You've got two heads with two brains but running off a single set or organs; one of them dying would require the heart supplying both of them to stop.

Unless you're talking about one of them becoming brain dead or something. Then idk at all, depends on how one head has an effect on the other.