Urmila Sharma, 28, gave birth to conjoined twins at Cygnus JK Hindu Hospital in Sonipat, Haryana, in northern India, yesterday morning.
The baby, born via C-section and weighing 7lbs 7oz, has two heads, two necks and two spines but only one body.
Conjoined: The baby, born via C-section and weighing 7lbs 7oz, has two heads, two necks and two spines - but only one body
The baby girl, yet to be named, is under close observation in the neonatal intensive care unit, though doctors fear her
chances of survival are slim.
Dr Shikha Malik delivered the baby and said: ‘The parents are very distressed and we are helping the family the best we can.’
Urmila and her husband Subhash, 32, who have one other daughter, were too poor to have an ultrasound during the pregnancy so complications had gone unnoticed.
Dr Malik added: ‘We only came to know she was carrying conjoined twins after an ultrasound two weeks ago but it was too late to do anything by then.
Fears: The baby's mother gave birth to conjoined twins in Haryana, northern India, yesterday morning - but doctors fear the chances of survival are slim
Wait: The baby girl, yet to be named, is under close observation in the neonatal intensive care unit
‘Now the baby is born we will do our best to save her and we hope to operate once her condition is more stable.’
Conjoined twins who share a single body have dicephalic parapagus - an extremely unusual form of conjoinment.
Because they share the same body, it is not possible to separate dicephalic parapagus twins.
Source DailyMail uk