Brazilian Baby 'Born Healthy with Two Heads' (odd photo)

I did a search here but couldn't find this story on ATS yet. Please delete if I've overlooked it.

So, apparently, two-headedness is either becoming more common or at least more-reported around the world. There have been several cases (a simple ATS search will bring up other instances of two-headed babies) in recent years.

I think it's very interesting and all, but my main reason for posting here, is what appears to be something strange in the photo that goes with this story. I'm hoping someone here can offer a simple explanation for it. What is the chunk of skin next to the left head (between the two heads). It appears too big to be an ear and too odd to be an extension of the neck. Perhaps a two-headed baby has weird skin growths...I don't know. Any ideas?

A Brazilian woman has given birth to a baby with two heads, it was reported today. The boy was born by caesarean at a hospital in Anajas, in Brazil's northern Para state, weighing 9.9lbs. Scans show that while the child has two perfectly-formed heads, he has one heart and all his vital organs function as normal. Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk...

[color=dodgerblue]The picture is kind of blurry but maybe it could be a poorly formed appendage?

The baby isn't really one baby, they are dicephalus twins.

They are a rare type of monozygotic twins.

Basically, something went wrong when the embryo tried to split in the very beginning of the pregnancy and for whatever reason, the split was only partial.

Here's another pic from Brazil's O Povo newspaper. I can't read the language, so I'm not sure if there are other pics to be found on the site. This pic doesn't really help in figuring out the skin anomaly, however.




Here's a link to that site:

source

This child can still live a decent life with the 2 heads.
Kind of crazy to see but still can live a functional life...

Originally posted by thepresenttense
Here's another pic from Brazil's O Povo newspaper. I can't read the language, so I'm not sure if there are other pics to be found on the site. This pic doesn't really help in figuring out the skin anomaly, however.

Here's a link to that site:

source

This is what the report says in English from the link you provided...

The Siamese children who were born in Anajás, Marajó archipelago, in the early hours of Monday, 19, were transferred to the Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Belém on the afternoon of Tuesday, 20. Babies have received the name of Jesus and Immanuel. Second note of the Holy House, one of them is fine, but another presents breathing difficulties and need special care. Assistive Director of Santa Casa, Neila Dahas, highlights that it is still early to talk about surgery. According to her, there has not yet been sufficient time to make an assessment about surgical procedures, both by physical and ethical aspects. Rare case in Brazil there are few records of cases similar to this, in Brazil. In 2002, an adolescent of 14 years gave birth to a baby with a torso and two heads, in the city of Joeirana, in Minas Gerais. The child died a few days later, of cardiac arrest, according to the Daily site of Cuiabá.

Thanks for the translation. This report differs from the first one I found, in that one of the babies apparently has some breathing problems. The first first report said they were both healthy.

reply to post by thepresenttense


I'm in agreement with Daryllyn. Looks like that's an arm between the heads. Such things are common in these sorts of twins since it is technically two babies who do not separate correctly.

Give it a rest people.

I'd like to see any of you deal with your own problems in a joyful productive manner before pointing fingers at little babies who might not be 'put together' perfect. ... And yeah, I mean you people with only ONE head.
Gawd.

Peace

reply to post by silo13


Pointing fingers implies that someone is making fun of these babies or judging them in some way. That is not my intention, nor do I think there is any 'problem' with them (other than a possible breathing problem for one of the babies--which I hope can be safely corrected).

I simply had a question about something I found strange in the photo. Also, how I deal with my own problems is none of your concern.

An interesting difference between the two boys and the two girls though, is that the girls each have their own set of organs (i.e. heart, lungs, etc), whereas the boys (I thought it said anyway) have only one heart, etc. Although with only one boy having respiratory issues, maybe I misunderstood that...

Anyway, that "appendage" in the background may have just been the way the baby was laying with all its loose fat skin gathering up a bit? Didn't the article say something about two perfectly formed heads?

I sure do have a lot of questions for twins of this specific type though, from questions of consciousness and sensation, to questions regarding all the routine mundane nuances of societies daily living activities and how they thrive and cope with such nuances.

[color=mediumorchid]I think they are adorable (: my oldest was born with a mess of dark hair and they remind me of him.

They were lucky to survive. There was a huge risk of complications due to the twins being monoamniotic.

Lots of information on conjoined twins can be found here.

reply to post by IronDogg


And I'd love to ask a grown set of twins (like the girls, but especially those who shared organs) what their dreams are like.

Give it a rest people. I'd like to see any of you deal with your own problems in a joyful productive manner before pointing fingers at little babies who might not be 'put together' perfect. ... And yeah, I mean you people with only ONE head. Gawd.

reply to post by silo13


I didn't see anyone saying anything bad about the babies or the way they are "put together." If a poster had been laughing about the way the babies were "put together," I can see where there would be a reason to be upset, but myself, I see nothing wrong with trying to understand things better. I think it's safe to say that anyone of us within child bearing age and who still is able to bear children, has the possibility of having twins like these two. There's nothing wrong with having a better understanding of why things don't always work the way they usually do. I personally think they're beautiful little babies and I'm glad they are reported to be quite healthy.

Whats really strange is that this is the second child born with two heads in northeastern Brazil. Makes you wonder what is going on in that part of the country.

reply to post by thepresenttense

Pointing fingers implies that someone is making fun of these babies or judging them in some way. That is not my intention, nor do I think there is any 'problem' with them (other than a possible breathing problem for one of the babies--which I hope can be safely corrected).

I simply had a question about something I found strange in the photo. Also, how I deal with my own problems is none of your concern.

I Apologize

You're right. I'm so sensitive about little babies being shown off like in freak show I overreacted.

I hope you take this apology in the sense it's given - with a true and sincere heart for jumping to conclusions about your intent for posting their picture.

Peace to you and yours during the Holidays and through 2012.

reply to post by silo13



Apology accepted. No harm done. Peace to you as well. Happy holidays, and here's to hoping 2012 will be worth the wait