November 13, 2009 11:57 AM

Baby With Two Heads Dies During Delivery

GORONTALO, Indonesia, Nov 13 (Bernama) -- A baby with two heads on one body died during delivery at Aloei Saboe Hospital in Gorontalo city on Thursday, Indonesia's Antara news agency reported.

"One of the baby's two heads had already emerged but doctors could not pull out the entire body. They thought there was a swelling on the baby's breast and decided to conduct a craniotomy in which the baby's second head was crushed to allow the baby's body to come out," Beby Duto, a nurse who had helped in the delivery process, said.

Beby explained the four doctors handling the delivery had no foreknowledge of the baby abnormal condition since the mother, 21-year-old Lun Tuu, had never had obstretrical care at the hospital.

The ill-fated baby had two normal heads each with a pair of ears and eyes, a single nose. However, it only had two arms and legs, a single compound of genitals and single internal organs.

The mother, Lun, who lost her husband two months ago, said she was shocked and sad after being told about her offsping's fate.

Up till now, Lun Tuu was still in intensive care at Aloei Saboei hospital for treatment of wounds and trauma from the delivery process.

The abnormal baby's birth attracted the attention of many local people who came to the hospital to see the baby themselves.

Previously, in August, 2009, a woman in Pamekasan, Madura in East Java, gave birth to a baby weighing eight kilogrammes in a normal manner or without undergoing a caesarean section.

When emerging from its mother Siti Aminah's womb, the male baby was in good health and had the physical appearance of a one-year-old infant.

Siti Aminah told reporters her pregnancy had lasted longer than normal, namely 12 months, and although during the period she had never consulted a doctor, she had had no difficulty delivering the baby.

-- BERNAMA

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