Baby with two heads

[Nikias]

'scruffy countries'? That's brilliant!

Aha, I was about to post the same. It's truly a tremendous turn of phrase.

 

[BrightonBelle]

Yeah this programme was unbelievable, plus I dont think it ended that well I think some of it could have been done better.

Still a very shocking programme and very sad

BB x

 

[sniffy]

Yeah it did end on quite a sour note.

 

[GSXRMovistar]

Why do these always turn up in really scruffy countries? There must be something in the water...

Nothing to do with the water, could happen all over the world but when in happens in a developed country like the UK we are lucky enough to have medical care giving us early scans that can detect this sort of thing which would normally lead to termination before a child could develop like this.

 

[manveruppd]

To be quite honest, if the second baby had survived it would have been horribly disfigured, would have had to rely on machines to survive and most likely not have had a very pleasant life at all. It could easily be argued that death was the kindest option.

Still, it could be argued that it was alive in a way. Obviously it was still a baby when separated so we don't know if the parasitic twin's brain would have developed normally, but imagine if it did and it had been allowed to develop... Can you imagine going through life bodiless, carried around on someone else's body, incapable even of speech since you have no larynx?
You might simply think "how horrible", and of course it would be just horrible from our point of view, but the parasitic twin wouldn't really know any better so you could argue it wouldn't really suffer at the thought... can you imagine what kind of brain and personality would have developed through a life like that? There's a certain surreal wonder about it...

 

[benjo plz.]

can you imagine what kind of brain and personality would have developed through a life like that? There's a certain surreal wonder about it...

I would presume it would have a pretty boring life. Learning is dependant on communication, so apart from the fact it can't communicate, it can't learn either. This would also mean that it would not develop properly. Tbh it would just be stuck there in a pityful existance in which it could do nothing. I think I'd rather be dead tbh.

 

[manveruppd]

Yeah but by that logic all deaf&dumb children should be euthanised.... :/
At least it would see, whereas there's babies born deaf, dumb AND blind. Not to mention what kind of strange bond it could develop with its twin (they were conjoined at the brain, after all).

 

[benjo plz.]

Yeah but by that logic all deaf&dumb children should be euthanised.... :/
At least it would see, whereas there's babies born deaf, dumb AND blind. Not to mention what kind of strange bond it could develop with its twin (they were conjoined at the brain, after all).

No, cause deaf and dumb people can use sign language. The best this brain can do is blink.
I don't think I've even considered how a person deaf, dumb and blind would find life, and few are unluckey enough to be stricken with all those ailments. As for them sharing a bond, well I suppose it's kind of possible, but there is no evidence to prove that it would or could, but that's mainly due to the fact that it is rare anyway.

 

[wnb]

Some shocking comments in this thread, I never saw the documentry but It must have been hard for the family. You had two babys one you have to sacrifice for the other to survive. Looking at the surviving twin she looks about 6 month old maybe older. Its more than long enough to get very attached to both of the twins. Very hard for the mother just to love the the surviving child without guilt and remorse.