Girl with Two Heads Born in Philippines

By: Barnaby Lo
Topics: World Watch

(AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Updated 1:30 a.m. EDT, Friday.

A baby girl with two heads was born at Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital (FMH), a government hospital in Manila, the Philippines on Tuesday night.

"Baby Girl Arciaga," now under observation at the Philippine Heart Center, was born with two hearts contained in one sac. The heads have separate brains and spines, but share most other vital organs, including lungs and kidneys.

"This is a very rare case. It's new even to us," Dr. Ruben Flores, FMH's director, said in a television interview.

The condition is called dicephaly monozygotic conjoined birth, and it occurs in only one out of 80,000 live births.

Doctors at the Philippine Heart Center said oxygen and medication has been keeping the girl – technically a pair of conjoined twins – in stable condition, but an underdeveloped heart threatens their life.

Their complexion turns dark whenever they cry because of a hole in one of the hearts.

"Eventually if one heart fails, the other one will be affected," said Dr. Flores.

Speaking to CBS News Friday, Dr. Ludgerio Torres, director of the Philippine Heart Center, completely ruled out any operation to separate the conjoined twins, but said doctors were optimistic that the girls could survive.

A scan confirmed that the baby on the left has a normal healthy heart.

The hole in the other baby's heart is believed to be correctable, but doctors are not in a hurry to operate as antibiotics and oxygen are helping keep the twins in a stable condition. More importantly, said Torres, "together, they help one another," with the healthy heart bolstering the other.

Torres said the babies were being fed intravenously, but they've also started bottle feeding. So far, their "sucking reflex has been wonderful," added the doctor.

For the Arciaga family, it would not have been a complete surprise to have twins. Both sides of the family have twin members.

But ultrasound images before the birth showed only one baby, so the couple did not expect twins, much less conjoined twins.

Salvador Arciaga, the father, earns a meager income as a cycle-taxi driver. He appealed to the public for financial assistance.

"Please help our baby. Please support us and help us extend their lives," he said.

The Arciagas could only hope that their twins end up like Abigail and Brittany Hensel of Minnesota, who for 19 years have been living with one body. They can walk, run, ride a bicycle, and even drive.

The Aguirre twins from the Philippines, who were joined at the head, underwent a series of surgeries at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City in 2004, and are now living normal, healthy, and physically separate lives.

But these are rare cases. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the overall survival rate of conjoined twins is somewhere between 5 and 25 percent.

Salvador and his wife remain hopeful that their daughters will survive.

"I hope she lives. Because if she does, we will do everything that we can to raise her well," said Salvador.

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by smirk5 January 31, 2012 7:41 PM EST: Let's face it. God wants humans to have two heads. He just hasn't figured out how to make the situation survivable yet. Keep trying God. Have faith in yourself.; Reply to this comment


by closethippy1 January 29, 2012 8:03 PM EST: For those who believe in "god" explain this one to me? How can a "benevolent" froce like "god" allow this to happen??? I say it's high time for you guys to rethink your beliefs. Thank you!; Reply to this comment


by pwgrant January 20, 2012 12:05 PM EST: How sad. Also an abomination is the headline. Two heads? No, conjoined twins. Perhaps CBS would like to be more insulting , but at least being accurate: i.e. "Child born with a parasitic conjoined twin."; Reply to this comment


by Cru09 January 18, 2012 12:58 PM EST: It's a shame we can't use stem cells to conjure her up a spare body.; Reply to this comment


by ghostfighter-2009 January 16, 2012 5:37 PM EST: I see this article is still up here. This is an interesting case. I would say legally and medically, these should be regarded as twins. They are a biological rarity, but as long as they thrive, there is no reason they should not continue on as they are.; Reply to this comment


by einzigartig January 6, 2012 5:27 PM EST: Barbaram99, the Hensel twins wear necklaces, I think. I am pretty sure no newborn should ever wear a necklace though.

As for the title of the article, it's not "one girl" with "two heads." "Two heads" means two personhoods, two consciouses, and two lives- albeit conjoined. "She" is a "they."; Reply to this comment


by Jaylah54 January 6, 2012 1:32 AM EST: I just sincerely hope it was a Caesarian delivery.; Reply to this comment

by Dgunner January 1, 2012 11:24 AM EST

A man who does not make enough money to feed the children he has and continues to have more is a idiot and does not deserve any sympathy along with the wife. The children are innocent and unfortunately any charity given for the children will be controlled by two people thier parents who do not exhibit enough intelligence to know when enough is enough .

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by melissa_cooper January 4, 2012 6:25 AM EST: You are a heartless, ignorant, uneducated person. There is no evidence that this man does not make enough money to feed the children he has - nor that he continues to have more. This couple fell victim to a genetic issue that needs more medical attention than the family can afford. Perhaps if they had had a regularly developed child, they would not need medical care.

Shame on you.

Sincerely,
-A conservative who is child-free by choice.


by catwoman1952 January 9, 2012 9:48 AM EST: Until you walk a mile in another man's shoes you know not of what you speak

by sweetgiftsphilippines August 6, 2009 4:29 PM EDT

I'll pray for the baby....

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by mobytoad January 25, 2012 9:27 AM EST: Pray to whom? To an omnipotent god who, if he/she/it could do anything about this, could have prevented it in the first place? Or are your special prayer powers such that god is under your influence? This poor family and these two girls suffer accidents of biological chaos to which we are all exposed. Your prayers only serve your ego. Contribute to science or to universal medical care or the needy. If your prayer-rsppondent deity were reral, this wouldn't happen.


by kimtx2 August 5, 2009 5:15 AM EDT: i would like to say congradulations to the parents on the birth of their baby girls they are beautiful. I hope and pray for them to be able to overcome any medical problems they may have and live a long happy health life. my heart goes out to the mom recovering in one hospital with her sick babies in another hostipal and other children at home i can only imagine what you must be feeling best of luck to you and your family; Reply to this comment

Girl with Two Heads Born in Philippines

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