Conjoined twins with two heads die in Odisha hospital

A pair of male conjoined twins, born with two heads and a single torso, died on Sunday after seven days of intensive care at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Odisha. The infants were diagnosed with dicephalic parapagus, an exceptionally rare condition occurring in approximately one out of every 300,000 births.

The newborns, weighing 2.25 kg, were born to a 22-year-old mother from the Kandhamal district. Medical evaluations revealed the twins shared a single heart, liver, and genitourinary tract, along with two spinal columns, two arms, and two legs. They also lacked an anal opening. Due to the complexity of the shared vital organs and the development of respiratory complications, surgical separation was deemed impossible.

The case has drawn comparisons to the well-known conjoined twins Jaga and Balia from the same district, who underwent a historic separation surgery at AIIMS New Delhi in 2017. While Jaga survived, Balia passed away from septicaemia in 2020.