A baby born with two heads and one body is fighting for life after doctors discovered he was suffering from breathing difficulties.
The male newborn was delivered prematurely by Caesarean section at around 32 weeks of pregnancy, weighing 2.25kg (4lb 15oz).
He has been diagnosed with dicephalic parapagus, an extremely rare condition in which two heads and necks are attached to a single body.
READ MORE: Everest climber 39 hanged after being accused of ‘enmity against God’
Doctors at MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur, Odisha, India, say the baby’s condition is critical.
The newborn has two spinal columns but shares a single heart and liver, alongside one pair of arms and legs.
He also has a single genital and urinary tract, male external genitalia and no anal opening, according to paediatric surgery chief Dr Manas Ranjan Sahu.
The baby is receiving specialist care in the hospital’s newborn unit, where doctors are closely monitoring his condition.
Hospital superintendent Dr Sudeepa Dash said a multidisciplinary team had been formed to manage the complex case.
She described it as potentially the first of its kind reported at the hospital.
Doctors have warned that the baby’s chances of survival may be poor because of the complicated abnormalities and associated health problems.
The medical team is carrying out further investigations to establish the extent of the shared anatomy and determine the best course of treatment.
The baby’s 22-year-old mum, from the Tumudibandh area of Kandhamal district, was referred to the hospital for specialist care before giving birth.
The child is the couple’s first baby, and his father works as a daily-wage labourer, as reported by Need To Know.
Reports differ on the exact date of the birth, with some stating Saturday (10 October), others Sunday (11 October) and another saying Monday evening (12 October).
The rare birth has drawn comparisons with Jaga and Balia, conjoined twins from the same district who became widely known during their medical treatment.
The brothers, born joined at the head in April 2015, underwent a landmark separation operation at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi in October 2017.
Balia later died of septicaemia in November 2020, while Jaga survived and continued rehabilitation.
READ MORE: Influencer accused of SHOOTING at Uber Eats driver over girlfriend’s number
