Who hasn’t heard of cases of conjoined twins? And who isn’t curious to know how they live and why they were born this way? There are many astonishing cases around the world, where babies joined at various parts of the body are born and surpass the odds of survival. Many have managed to reach adulthood and, more than that, have a dignified life like any other citizen, of course, with some limitations.

Conjoined twins, or unified twins as they are also known, are identical twins who are born joined at some part of the body due to an abnormality during the process of cell division at the time of embryo formation. The connection between them can occur at the head, buttocks, ribs, arms, and legs. Each case has its particularities, including with regard to the division of vital organs, where in some, a single body with two heads shares all organs, or in other cases, a single body has two hearts, kidneys, separate digestive systems, or two completely formed bodies with unique and separate organs joined by a part of the body.

In ancient times, it was very common for conjoined twins to live united until the end of their lives, also because of the lack of medical resources and the great risks involved. Currently, with medicine advancing more and more, it is possible to offer treatments and resources, as well as more complex tests that analyze any risk even before attempting separation procedures, ruling out hypotheses and thus ensuring both have greater chances of survival.

In the past, it was common in families where conjoined twins were born to exploit the situation and gain fame and money from the “freak show” as they were known. Placed in circus spectacles, the children were forced to travel the world as if they were animals or objects of human curiosity. Today, the parents of conjoined twins fight harder than ever to provide a normal life for their children so that they can live as regular citizens with all their rights.

Movie Suggestion: Stuck on You (comedy)

Synopsis: Bob (Matt Damon) and Walt (Greg Kinnear) are conjoined twins who enjoy great popularity in the small town where they live. The two have always gotten along very well, until Walt decides to pursue his big dream: to become an actor. For that, he needs to convince Bob to go to Hollywood, getting help from a neighbor (Eva Mendes) and an agent (Seymour Cassel) who wants to get him into an adult movie.

Videos of the Most Famous Conjoined Twin Cases

 

 

See also: Twin Pregnancy – What Changes to Expect in the Mother’s Body?

Photo: Bob Jagendorf