Infant relieved of parasitic twin

The parasitic twin of three-month old boy Mohammad Ali was separated through a two-hour surgery by the doctors of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) on Monday.

Mohammad Ali, now relieved of his headless twin’s limbs, will be kept in the post operative unit for 48-hr observation.

An 18-member team of specialist doctors, led by Pediatric Surgery Department’s chairman Md Ruhul Amin, conducted the surgery. The university authorities conducted the surgery free of cost.

The parasitic twins of male sex - one fully developed and the other undeveloped - was admitted to BSMMU on March 10, three days after they were born to Md Zakaria and Hiramoni at their home in Rampal upazila of Bagerhat district on March 7. The couple has three more daughters who are healthy and normal.

The fully developed twin, given the name Mohammad Ali, had the undeveloped twin’s body - which had all the limbs and organs except for the head - attached at his chest.

Prosanto Kumar Mazumder, public relation officer of BSMMU said, the operation started around 9.30am and continued for two hours. The operation was successful.

Earlier the BSMMU authorities formed an 18-member team of specialist doctors, led by its Pediatric Surgery department chairman Md Ruhul Amin, to conduct the surgery On Saturday last, while Pediatric Surgery department former chairman Professor Shafiqul Huq, Professor Md Matiur Rahman and Professor Md Saiful Islam assisted the team as advisors.

Parasitic twins, also known as asymmetrical or unequal conjoined twins, are born when twin embryos begins developing in uterus. When the pair does not fully separate, and one embryo maintains dominant development at the expense of the other, physicians said.

The unequal conjoined twin, Mohammad Ali, son of Hiramoni and Md Zakaria comes from a Bagerhat village. The couple has three more daughters who are healthy and normal.