The rarest form of conjoined twins is monocephalic conjoined twins, which occurs in only one in every 2. 5 million live births. Monocephalic conjoined twins, also known as “dicephalic parapagus,” is a condition where two babies are born as a single body with two heads and one body.
The twins typically share a thorax, abdomen, pelvis, circulatory system, and parts of the nervous system. Monocephalic conjoined twins typically do not survive long after birth due to life-threatening complications.
In extremely rare cases, some babies have survived for some months with proper medical care. In such cases, extensive research has been conducted to understand the medical implications and possible medical interventions one could take to help them live long and healthy lives.
What type of conjoined twins Cannot be separated?
The types of conjoined twins that cannot be separated depend upon the nature of the shared organs, tissues, and other parts of their anatomy. Some twins may have joined organs, such as their heart or circulatory system, making any attempt at separation extremely risky.
Other times, a single organ or body part is shared, such as an arm, that cannot be separated without significant risk to both individuals. In some cases, the risk of separation is so great that medical personnel may deem it too dangerous and will recommend against attempting a separation surgery.
As a result, conjoined twins must learn to manage their disabilities and live as optimally as possible with their condition.
Has there ever been conjoined triplets?
Yes, conjoined triplets have been reported throughout medical history. The most famous case was the Binder triplets, three girls born in Germany in 1925 with two of them sharing the same torso and limbs.
The Binder triplets were only the fourth case of conjoined triplets to be recorded and were the first to survive past infancy. They spent most of their lives in an institution, as their condition made living at home difficult.
Through multiple operations, the doctors at the institution were eventually able to separate the sisters, whose names were Louise, Christine, and Marta, in 1933. Though the surgeries were a success, the Binder sisters did not have the easiest of lives and went through a variety of physical and psychological difficulties.
Do conjoined twins have 2 private parts?
Conjoined twins have an individual set of reproductive organs, so the answer is yes, they have two private parts. Conjoined twins are formed at the same time when a single fertilized egg (zygote) fails to separate properly in the womb.
In some cases, the egg only partially separates, creating twins that are conjoined at any area of the body. Though the twins may share some organs and limbs, they still have their own set of reproductive organs.
This means that conjoined twins can each experience the characteristics of their sexuality, such as arousal and desire, independently from their twin. However, depending on the exact location of where they are joined and how developed their mutual organs are, their private parts can be joined together.
How rare is it to have conjoined triplets?
It is incredibly rare to have conjoined triplets. According to research, the overall incidence of conjoined twins is estimated to be 1 in 200,000 to 1 million births, while the incidence of conjoined triplets is reported to be 1 in 50 million.
The actual number of conjoined triplets may be higher, however, due to increased survival rates in recent years due to advances in medical technology and treatment. Generally, approximately 75 percent of conjoined twins are female, and the majority of conjoined triplets are usually male or female triplets.
Conjoined triplets occur when three embryos become conjoined during the early stages of fetal development. The embryos do not necessarily have to be identical for this to occur. The type of conjoinment is determined by where in the body the structures are connected: cranial-caudal (head-to-tail), thoracopagus (chest-to-chest), pygopagus (buttocks-to-buttocks), ischiopagus (hip-to-hip) or diamniotic-dichorionic, which is unrelated to any anatomical region.
The rarity of conjoined triplets makes it difficult for researchers to understand the exact cause of this extremely rare occurrence. Factors such as genetics, environmental factors, and the mother’s health during pregnancy may play a role.
In most cases, conjoined triplets either miscarry naturally, or are separated through a medical procedure. If the infants are not treated, their quality of life can be poor and their life span may be shorter than normal.
Overall, though conjoined triplets are very rare, cases are growing across the world. To this day, the exact cause behind the birth of conjoined triplets remains mostly a mystery.
What happens if one conjoined twin commits a crime?
It depends on the jurisdiction, as the laws will vary from country to country on what happens if one conjoined twin commits a crime. In general, each conjoined twin is viewed as a separate individual under the law, so one twin could be held liable for a crime in the same way any other individual would be, separate from their conjoined twin.
For example, if one conjoined twin were to commit a criminal offense such as robbery, the criminal justice system would need to determine whether that particular twin had the capacity for criminal intent, and would be liable for the crime.
In some states, the outcome of a case in which one conjoined twin is accused of a crime can depend on the state of mental health of the twins. If it can be established that one twin was acting without any mental capacity due to disability, they may not be held liable as any other individual would.
Conversely, some jurisdictions have also acknowledged that although one conjoined twin can be held legally responsible for a criminal act, it is conceivable that the other twin could also have some degree of responsibility, depending on the level of cognitive and physical control the two had within their conjoined form.
Ultimately, responsibility for any crime one conjoined twin may commit is likely to be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and the outcome will depend on a variety of complex factors.
Do both conjoined twins have control over the body?
The answer to this question is different depending on the particular case of each conjoined twin. Generally speaking, each twin has its own distinct limbs, heart, lungs and brain, which means they also have independent control of their respective bodies.
However, in some cases, the twins can be joined at the brain, spine or skull, which can lead to a situation where the twins share some sort of physical control, often in the form of coordination of movement.
It can be the case that each twin independently initiates movement with their own body, or that one of the twins will initiate the movement and the other will follow. It is important to mention that this does not always mean that both twins involved in a joined body are affected in the same way.
Quite often, due to differences in anatomy, one twin may be able to move more freely than the other. Ultimately, it is important to consider the individual case of each twin when trying to answer this question.
