# Baby with two heads (conjoined twin misdevelopment) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 30, 2005, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-with-two-heads-conjoined-twin-misdevelopment/301818 "2005-04-30T02:31:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Susie\_Derkins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Susie\_Derkins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Susie_Derkins)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-with-two-heads-conjoined-twin-misdevelopment/301818/41 "2005-05-20T16:22:42Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > **Susie Derkins** , thanks much for update. No problem, just wanted to keep everyone a_breast_ of the story! Ha–wait…what? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-with-two-heads-conjoined-twin-misdevelopment/301818/42 "2005-05-20T16:40:36Z")
According to what was on Oprah, the doctors all considered the babies to be triplets, since Islaam had a fully developed brain (although one hemisphere was connected to one of Minar’s). She had part of a chest as well, which may have contained a lung. And I agree, the strangest thing was seeing her awake and acting like a normal baby, while her sister slept. ---
**Author:** ![Chimark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Chimark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimark)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-with-two-heads-conjoined-twin-misdevelopment/301818/43 "2005-05-20T17:46:02Z")
On _Oprah_ she said that they asked religious authorities about the operation and they didn’t have any problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-with-two-heads-conjoined-twin-misdevelopment/301818/44 "2005-05-20T23:33:59Z")
> [@Susie Derkins](#): > > Manar’s heart was barely keeping both of them alive; she went into cardiac arrest 6 times which is why they had to separate them. That is what I remember from the earlier reports: the strain of keeping both heads going was too much for a single heart. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2005, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-with-two-heads-conjoined-twin-misdevelopment/301818/45 "2005-05-20T23:37:05Z")
Oh - I just found [**this**](http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/311377p-266276c.html): > [@](#): > > The second head “didn’t have a heart to survive on,” said Dr. Abla El Alfi, who would later lead the team that performed the separation surgery. > > “ **She had the brain, she can blink her eyes, she can suck, she can move the lips, so she is a human being. She had her dignity** ,” Dr. Mohamed Lottfy, the team neurosurgeon, said of the second head. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-with-two-heads-conjoined-twin-misdevelopment/301818/46 "2005-05-21T00:12:19Z")
> [@zuma](#): > > I wonder if they even got an ultrasound… I know this may blow a few circuits for you, but not everyone in the world has access to ultrasound. > [@](#): > > this should never have happened. You are entirely correct. The next time you have an oppotunity to address God please speak to Him sternly about inflicting these sorts of horrors on people. > [@](#): > > This should have been terminated early on Why? Because Manar’s twin (or other two triplets) are incapable of survival we should kill Manar, too? > [@](#): > > Subjecting these two kids to “separation surgery” is worse still. Let’s see… no seperation operation, both die for certain. After separation operation… once certainly dies, but the other has a change at a relatively normal life. Seems to me choice #2 is morally defensible. What’s your problem with it? ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-with-two-heads-conjoined-twin-misdevelopment/301818/47 "2005-05-21T01:11:17Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > . . . or “heads-up” . . . ## This thread is heady stuff. Seriously, I saw the bit on Oprah. **Broomstick’s** reasoning seems sound to me. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-with-two-heads-conjoined-twin-misdevelopment/301818/48 "2005-05-21T01:12:20Z")
Religous authorities were consulted and could clearly see the wisdom of separation, and consented directly. They considered the parasitic twin both a person and a soul. At separation the removed twin (?) was named and a burial was performed. This is what the doctors meant by dignity and what the religious authorities requested. Everyone involved saw it the same way so there was little room for headlines. I am certain they would never have cowered at the suggestion the head be treated as medical waste. Cultural differences are a kicker aren’t they? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2005, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-with-two-heads-conjoined-twin-misdevelopment/301818/49 "2005-05-21T04:05:18Z")
Arrg :smack: :smack: Please strike the word ‘never’ from that last sentence. And I did preview, not well enough though. (Perhaps a mod would fix for me, thank you, you are too kind). :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baby-with-two-heads-conjoined-twin-misdevelopment/301818.md?page=2)