Doctors at India’s Ratlam District Hospital were speechless when Shaheen Khan gave birth to their child. They were actually expecting twins – but in fact a baby with two heads, two hearts and three hands was born.
This type of birth is known as dicephaly, in German two-headedness, like the «Mirror» writes. Siamese twins, as they are often called, usually have two heads, but four hands and only one heart. Khan’s baby, who is a boy by the way, is considered an even rarer case of conjoined twins.
And it is all the more rare that such an infant is viable at all as in this case. Doctors reported on Tuesday that no surgery on the baby was planned. The miracle baby is currently being monitored by medics at a hospital near the Indian city of Indore. The mother is still in Ratlam District Hospital.
“The condition of the baby remains uncertain in the first few days”
Whether the birth will be treated as conjoined twins or as one child is not yet clear. Local reports say it’s a baby, but the condition is a rare form of partial twinning. Doctor Lahoti, one of the doctors in charge, explained: “This type of case is rare and the condition of the babies remains uncertain, especially in the first few days.”
Doctors had told the parents after an ultrasound scan that Shaheen was expecting twins. However, even the doctors were not aware of the unusual condition of the babies. The baby doesn’t have a name yet. (obf)