A baby boy was born in Brazil with two heads. Should doctors remove one head?

It happens with animals why not humans. Isn’t removing one a little extreme? Who are they to decide which one?

Do both heads have functioning brains? Are they both developed, or is one incapable of performing normal functions?

I feel like I need more information. Can you share the article?

Nevermind, I looked it up.

Both heads are fully functional… they should absolutely leave it alone. A decision to remove a functional head in order to give the child a “normal” life should be up to the parents, not a doctor. From what I have read, both children are nursing and healthy… it would be absurd to kill one of them.

Absolutely not, I have not an ounce of hesitation in saying that, to do otherwise would be nothing short of murder.

They should remove both.

I also say no. These are two separate individuals living as cojoined twins. If this was an in-utero question I would say abort, but they are born now, they both have fully developed brains from what I understand with the information provided here. Sometimes I am in favor of killing one of the twins in a cojoined situation, usually it is basically one fails to thrive after separation, but the doctors and parents know before surgery it is likely.

How do they know that removing one head won’t remove a vital bit of wiring that keeps the rest of the body functioning. Example; if head one controls the heart and head two controls the lungs and breathing, removing one or the other could end up killing both.

I say leave them alone.

Bless their little hearts. Leave them alone.

No. They both have fully functioning brains and share one body. Furthermore, their family want the babies and are looking forward to them coming home. Let them be.

@Coloma “bless their little heart you mean?

Jokes aside…This is a difficult choice. Imagine for a second how hard it would be for two heads to live together on one body.
Seriously difficult for both the person(s) and the family. Removing one head might ease the risk and pains of growing up through the difficulties. It might allow for a normalish style life to be lead. On the other head….Opps, hand. Well, I can’t think of a positive reason to leave the head attached. It will only lead to difficulties down the road. It is difficult to imagine cutting off one of the heads because we are human and our hearts pour out for others but is it better to give one head to ease the lives of the family and the “most” centered head or is it brutal only because you can’t imagine it? Let’s put our heads together on this one Fluther. And most importantly, don’t start losing your heads over this. I suck sometimes, sorry fluther.com

Have none of you heard of the teenage girl(s) with two heads?

I say leave them be. They may have a good life.

@FutureMemory I was thinking about those girls as soon as I read the question. They seem to be just fine, and I don’t see why these babies can’t be, too.

Status quo should be maintained.
At least no one will accuse them of being two-faced….err, I mean, oh dear!

I can’t imagine raising teenage conjoined twins. Can you imagine the bickering? It’s not like you can force them to leave each other alone. Yikes.

@ANef_is_Enuf Said like a great parent. LMAO.

@Adirondackwannabe seriously.
That was also really difficult to word, because I wanted to avoid using anything blatantly insensitive, like “separate.” :P

@ANef_is_Enuf I was imagining the bickering and sitting here laughing.Oh God. :)

@ANef_is_Enuf If they get laid, who get’s to brag about it?

I hope that those sweet babies have a long and healthy life together.
I wish them well and good luck to their family.

I just can’t imagine being faced with something like this as a parent. There is no way I can even begin to make such a huge ethical decision such as this. I just don’t know.
It seems to me even if one head was removed the risks of something like that are, obviously, most likely, life threatening in itself.

I think I read they share one spinal column, so how could it even be done without grave risk to leaving the body maybe paralyzed or, who knows. What about a shared or conjoined brain stem? Eeee…..I can’t even imagine, no, I can’t.

Seeing as the article I read said that both babies were suckling that would mean that one head would have to die. Very, very sad but I think, if the health of the main head (whichever that is) would greatly improve with the removal of the other than I wouldn’t be completely against it. Really not sure about this one if I’m honest.

@Coloma I had read there are two spinal cords, and because of that I thought how can they do it? Either way, the mom seems fine leaving them alone, the state and the doctors should not interfere.

I didn’t get the impressikn from the articles I read that the doctors were going to try an interfere, probably they were just presenting the medical situation and the choices they might consider.

How would you decide which one to get rid of? Eenie meenie miney mo?

An Update on the twins.

@WestRiverrat I saw this morning on the news thingy that runs across the bottom of the TV (I don’t know what that is called) that the Brazillian babies are conjoined twins, like it was new information. What else would they be? I found it odd that was being pointed out in later news releases. I wrote that on the Q from the very beginning. I’m not looking for any credit for knowing, I am sure many people did, but I find it interesting that the news seems to not know, supposed experts work in these news organizations.

How would you decide which one to get rid of? Eenie meenie miney mo?

Keep the head that’s closest to the middle, of course.

No.

Ethical dilemma. Depends on the details.

@JLeslie I saw this morning on the news… that the Brazillian babies are conjoined twins, like it was new information. What else would they be?

Exactly my thoughts. As I said , I wish those two little babies a long and healthy, happy life together.

What a horribly sad situation. I would only have them remove one head if there were something wrong with one of them. What I don’t understand is, why wasn’t this detected before birth? Had I learned I was carrying conjoined twins, especially one so severe, I would have aborted as early as possible. I would not want my child growing up being treated like a freak. Even though they may be fully functional, what kind of quality of life could they have?

@EmptyNest Even though they may be fully functional, what kind of quality of life could they have?

May I direct you to this post

@EmptyNest, the mother didn’t have anti-natal care until very late in the pregnancy. That’s what it said in the news story I read anyway. So, she didn’t know.

That’s a great YouTube video @FutureMemory.

@FutureMemory I stand by what I said. Would you like to be that person?!

You don’t know how it feels to be that person @EmptyNest. You are judging according to your own view on what is a “quality” life. The two women in that YouTube video seem to be having a wonderful life and their parents love them. Which of those young women would have condemned to die because their life doesn’t meet your standard of ‘quality life’?

The news stories I have read about these new babies suggest their family love them and want them.