KIGALI - Medical experts at King Faisal Hospital (KFH) Thursday carried out a successful operation on a two-day old new born by separating him from his deformed twin.

While addressing a press conference at the hospital premises, officials explained that this is a case commonly known as a Siamese birth but of the two babies one did not fully develop.

"Siamese twins are born as a result of failed division of eggs or the embryo. In this, case however, the other twin was deformed thus being a parasite to the normal baby.

This (parasite) was receiving blood from the other baby through a blood vessel that supplies blood and oxygen.
"The two also shared a big artery and two veins that came from the parasite to the baby.

There were no major connections like sharing the heart, liver and other organs which made it possible to separate the two by operation,” Dr. Didace B. Mugisa, a Surgeon at KFH explained.

The operation was carried out by a team of four doctors and the experts confirmed that the baby is already recovering.

"We are happy that this service was conducted by our team and especially that the baby is fine and breathing well. It is however vital for women to know that during pregnancy, one should go for ultra sound once or twice through this period.

"If such abnormalities are identified earlier various interventions can be done to ensure that no problem happens to such children and mothers at delivery,” Dr. Steven Musiime, a Paediatrician at KFH noted.

Musiime’s call is based on the fact that the mother of these twins had never gone for ultra sound to know the formation details of her babies.

Officials also noted that she did not deliver at a health centre but at home. Details on where the parents originate or which health centre referred the case to King Faisal were not availed.

Another expert at the hospital, Dr. Alex Butera, added that, there is a 10 percent occurrence of parasitic births in normal pregnancy worldwide.

KFH is the country’s national referral hospital that aims at reducing the need for Rwandans to travel abroad for medical care.

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