Conjoined twins share a heart
- 12 years ago
WARNING: CONTAINS POTENTIALLY DISTURBING VIDEO.
STORY: Conjoined twins born in Brazil have two functioning brains and spines, but only one heart.
Named Jesus and Emanuel - the newborn boys were rushed to a better equipped hospital in stable condition.
Doctors are unsure whether operating to separate them - or remove one of their heads - will be possible because they share a single set of organs.
(SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) DOCTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONJOINED TWINS, NEILA DAHAS, SAYING:
"What we know statistically is that the children who undergo surgery and survive are the children who have less organs in common."
The rare condition occurs when one of two conjoined twins fails to fully develop in the womb.
Katharine Jackson, Reuters.
STORY: Conjoined twins born in Brazil have two functioning brains and spines, but only one heart.
Named Jesus and Emanuel - the newborn boys were rushed to a better equipped hospital in stable condition.
Doctors are unsure whether operating to separate them - or remove one of their heads - will be possible because they share a single set of organs.
(SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) DOCTOR RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONJOINED TWINS, NEILA DAHAS, SAYING:
"What we know statistically is that the children who undergo surgery and survive are the children who have less organs in common."
The rare condition occurs when one of two conjoined twins fails to fully develop in the womb.
Katharine Jackson, Reuters.