Two heads, 1 body...What do they do?

Today I read a very interesting article about twins who were basically born with the same body. Their condition is called dicephalic parapagus and is very rare although there are other known cases of the condition. There condition meant they were born in Brazil with two heads, two brains and two backbones but with only one heart.

Obviously this is stirs up a few problems for the doctors and surgeons looking after the twins.

Firstly and foremost, the main problems is whether to spate the twins or to keep them conjoined.

This in its self stirs up a number of problems.  One problem is the findings out how separation would even be possible I.e. are their main blood vessels separate systems or are they joined. This would require the world’s best vascular surgeons to separate their main vessels if they were joined.

Another problem is whether separating the twins is ethical. On one hand if they are separated they would both be able to live their own individual lives, however if something went wrong during separation one twin may end up with serious disabilities or even may die, or they may both dies.

This then brings up the classic question in pioneering science and medicine, ‘does the benefits outweigh the risk?’  

Currently the twins are reported to be breast feeding normally, so hopefully the future is looking good for the twins.

The mother of the twins was reported to not of had an ultra scan which meant that the condition was not picked up, until a few minutes before birth.  However I feel that even if she did have the ultra scan it may have been late anyway to do anything other than terminate the pregnancy.

I felt that this article is very interesting and you can read it here http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-16300314  . I will certainly be following up on what happens with these twins in the next few months.

Hope you enjoyed reading this,

Noah.