All twins are of two types: dizygotic (fraternal or non-identical) and monozygotic (identical or identical). Dizygotic babies develop from two or more eggs fertilized at the same time, and monozygotic babies develop from one fertilized egg, which splits into two (or more) parts at an early stage of development. This process is observed, on average, in three to four pregnancies out of a thousand. Monozygotic twins have the same set of genes, dizygotic twins are ordinary brothers and sisters (in terms of genetics).

Such babies began to be called Siamese after the whole world became aware of fused people born in Siam in 1811 who performed in the circus. Their number was called "Siamese twins".

Conjoined babies appear if the splitting of the egg is delayed until the thirteenth day after conception. Most Siamese twins die in the womb, such a pregnancy ends in a miscarriage. They are born in about one case out of 200 thousand. In 75% of cases, such babies are born dead or die immediately after birth.

Siamese babies can grow together very strongly, while they have common internal organs, some may be connected by a small patch of skin. Most often they appear in India and Africa. Among Siamese twins, three times more than were revealed. There are currently about a dozen such people in the United States.

The history of the study of the causes of the appearance of Siamese twins

According to scientists, this phenomenon can be caused by genetic, environmental factors, exposure to toxic substances. In 18th-century medicine, there was a theory that these twins were originally separated, and then fused with each other in the womb or develop from an egg fertilized by two sperm.

Scientists at the Frankfurt Institute of Human Anatomy, investigating the causes of the phenomenon, came to the conclusion that the birth of Siamese twins is a consequence of a mental illness. This conclusion goes against an earlier theory that conjoined babies are a genetic error, a kind of mutation. During the research, tests were carried out on a group of monkeys. Throughout the pregnancy cycle, they were subjected to continuous psychotropic effects, while 80% of the animals were born Siamese cubs.

Their names were Chang and Eng. These brothers from the city of Siam, located on the territory of modern Thailand, were literally tied to each other - their bodies were a single whole. In honor of these two, the name of the congenital anomaly known as "Siamese twins" was given.

Siamese twins are often called fused twins, but the term is not quite correct. The bodies of such people do not grow together in the mother's womb, they are formed and develop in this form from the very beginning. According to medical statistics, there is one such case for every 200,000 births. However, more than half of these are doomed to death in infancy, and most often there is a miscarriage, but about 25% manage to survive.

Such an anomaly may look different. Twins can connect from the waist to the sternum, in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe chest, back, even cases are known when the heads turned out to be connected.

Why Siamese twins are born

Scientists have been thinking about the reasons for the appearance of the birth of such people for a long time. For example, the French surgeon of the XVI century. A. Pare considered this to be the result of either the "wrath of the Lord" or improper behavior during pregnancy: the woman wore tight clothes, wrong. Get close to true reasons was first able in the 20th century by Helda Broskjöld.

This German researcher experimented on embryos by transplanting particles of others into one embryo. In most cases, they died, but some survived and turned into Siamese twins. This meant that in the cell array, which is formed as a result of division, there is a certain organizer that controls its self-organization. In humans, this process, called gastrulation, begins 12 days after conception.

After the experiments of H. Brosheld, it took several decades of research to understand how the organizer operates. This is a lump of cells located near the deep furrow separating the embryo. In 1994, signaling molecules were isolated from organizer tissue genes. Thanks to them, the cells of the embryo, in contact with this tissue, receive “commands” that determine their further development.

There are seven such molecules in total, and one of them is retinoic acid. How it works can be seen in the following experiment: tear off the tail of a tadpole and treat the wound with retinoic acid. Instead of one tail, several will grow. If there is too much retinoic acid, the human embryo also has extra body parts, up to complete doubling. An excess of another signaling substance called "N-sonic" leads to a doubling of the face.

This is how Siamese twins are born. The principle “what is hidden in the norm is obvious in the pathology” has the most direct relation to them.

Can Siamese twins be helped?

To say that the life of Siamese twins is hard is to say nothing. Until recently, such people had only one path - to a fair booth or to the circus arena. Now they are cared for like other disabled people. But is it possible to give them a full-fledged human life by dividing them surgically?

Alas, not always. Twins cannot be separated if they share a heart, liver, or other vital organs. But at the end of the XVII century. The German doctor Koenig separated Siamese twins, connected only by skin, fatty tissue and connective tissue. In 1888, in France, they managed to separate the Indian girls Raditza and Doditsa. One of the sisters had tuberculosis, and the operation was done to save the other. True, the healthy sister outlived the sick one by only two years.

Sometimes the birth of Siamese twins poses a difficult moral question: you can save one of the children only by sacrificing the other.
Modern surgery makes it possible to separate even twins with fused heads, however, only a quarter of patients survive. Patients understand this and often say, agreeing to the operation: death is better than such a life!

Sources:

• O Siamese twins
• About surgery to separate Siamese twins

Once upon a time, the fate of all Siamese twins was one - to serve as amusement to the public. Today's world is not so cruel, but not many such twins become happy. We want to tell you about the difficult and often tragic fate of these people.

Siamese twins are identical twins that have not completely separated during the embryonic period of development and share body parts and / or internal organs. The chance of such people being born is approximately one in 200,000 births. More often, Siamese twins are born girls, although the first two pairs of the most famous Siamese twins were born boys. But if we discard science and “turn on” feelings, then you will not envy the fate of these people.

1. Unnamed Siamese twins

The earliest case of the birth of Siamese twins was scientifically recorded and dated to the year 945. This year, two fused boys from Armenia were brought to Constantinople for medical examination. A pair of unnamed Siamese twins managed to survive and even grow up. They were well known at the court of Emperor Constantine VII. After the death of one of the brothers, doctors made the first ever attempt to separate Siamese twins. Unfortunately, the second brother did not survive either.

2. Chang and Eng Bunker

The most famous pair of Siamese twins were the Chinese Chang and Eng Bunker. They were born in 1811 in Siam (modern Thailand). Later, all twins born with such a physical anomaly began to be called "Siamese". Chang and Eng were born with fused cartilage chest. AT modern science this type is called "xifopagi twins" and such twins can be divided. But in those days, the boys had to perform in the circus for the entertainment of the public in order to survive. For many years they toured with the circus under the nickname "Siamese twins" and became famous all over the world.

In 1839, the brothers stopped performing, bought a farm and even married two sisters. They gave birth to perfectly healthy children. These famous brothers died in 1874. When Chang died of pneumonia, Eng was sleeping at the time. Waking up and finding his brother dead, he also died, although before that he was healthy.

3. Millie and Christina McCoy

Another famous case of the birth of Siamese twins occurred in 1851. In North Carolina, a pair of Siamese twins, Millie and Christina McCoy, were born into a family of slaves. When the babies were eight months old, they were sold to D. P. Smith, a famous showman. It was assumed that when the girls grew up, they would be used to perform in the circus. They started performing at age three and were known as the "Two-Headed Nightingale". The girls had a musical education, sang well and played musical instruments. The sisters toured until the age of 58, and died in 1912 from tuberculosis.

4. Giovanni and Giacomo Tocci

Siamese twins Giovanni and Giacomo Tocci were born in 1877 in Italy as dicephalic twins. They had two heads, two legs, one body and four arms. It was said that when they saw the kids, their father, not having survived the shock, landed in a psychiatric clinic. But resourceful relatives decided to take advantage of the misfortune and forced the boys to perform in public. But Giovanni and Giacomo disliked this and did not respond well to “training”. They never learned to walk as each head only had control over one of the legs. According to some sources, the Tocci brothers died in early age. Their difficult life was described in one of his stories by the famous writer Mark Twain.

5. Daisy and Violetta Hilton

These girls were born in 1908 in Brighton, England. They fused in the pelvis, but they did not have any vital common organs. At first, their fate was extremely sad. From birth, they were doomed to perform in various show programs. The twins were bought by Mary Hilton from their barmaid mom, and they started their first show while still very young. The girls sang and played musical instruments, touring throughout Europe and America. After the death of Mary Hilton, her relatives began to “patronize” the girls. And only in 1931, Daisy and Violetta were able to obtain the long-awaited freedom and 100 thousand dollars in compensation through the court.

The twins continued to perform and even came up with their own program. They toured in their senior years and even starred in two films, one of which was a biopic called Bound for Life.

Daisy and Violetta Hilton died in 1969 from the flu. Daisy died first, and Violetta remained alive for some time, but she did not have the opportunity to call anyone for help.

6. Simplicio and Lucio Godina

These two boys were born in 1908 in the city of Samar in the Philippines. The case is unique in that they were cartilaginously fused in the pelvis back to back, yet they were so flexible that they could turn to face each other. When the twins were 11 years old, they were taken to their upbringing by a wealthy Filipino, Theodore Yangeo. He raised the boys in luxury and took care of their good education. In 1928, Simplicio and Lucio married twin sisters (not Siamese) and lived happy life until 1936, when Lucio contracted pneumonia and died. The decision was made to perform emergency surgery to separate the twins, but Simplicio contracted spinal meningitis and died 12 days after his brother's death.

7. Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapov

The most famous Siamese twins of the USSR Masha and Dasha Krivoshlyapov were born on January 4, 1950. Their tragic fate is known to every Soviet person. The sisters were born with two heads, four arms, three legs and one common body. When one compassionate nurse showed the girls to their mother, the poor woman lost her mind and ended up in a psychiatric clinic. The sisters met their mother only when they were 35 years old.

For the first seven years, the girls were kept at the Institute of Pediatrics of the USSR Academy of Sciences, where they were used as "guinea pigs". From 1970 until their death in 2003, the Krivoshlyapov sisters lived in a boarding school for elderly people. AT last years Masha and Dasha often drank in their lives.

8. Abigail and Brittany Hensel

Sisters Abigail and Brittany Hensel were born in the western United States, in New Germany. On March 7, 2016, they turned 26 years old. Their life is a vivid example of the fact that, remaining a single whole, you can live a completely normal, full life. The Hensel sisters are dicephalic twins. They have one body, two arms, two legs, three lungs. Each has its own heart and stomach, but the blood supply between them is common.

Abigail and Brittany live with their parents younger brother and sister. Each of them controls the arm and leg on their side, and each feels touched only on their side of the body. But they have learned to coordinate their movements very well, so much so that they can play the piano and drive a car. The inhabitants of their small town know the sisters well and treat them well. Abby and Brit have many friends loving parents and a completely fulfilling life. Recently, the sisters graduated from the university, and each received a diploma. Now they teach math in primary school. Their attitude to life, the ability to overcome any difficulties is a special gift.

9. Krista and Tatiana Hogan

These wonderful babies were born in 2006 in Vancouver, Canada. At first, doctors gave a very small chance that the girls would survive. Even before they were born, they suggested that the mother have an abortion. But the young woman insisted on leaving the children, and never once regretted her decision. The girls were born healthy, and the only thing that distinguished them from ordinary children was that the sisters grew together with their heads. Twins grow and develop the way children their age should develop. They speak well and even know how to count. Their parents simply adore them and always say that they are healthy, beautiful and happy.

Mutations are an extremely sad "hello" that bad ecology and wrong lifestyle and genetic failures send, but it is especially sad when children suffer from them. Just imagine that you were literally attached to another person for the rest of your life. While you represent all this for some people living on Earth, this real story. No, we will not talk about how hard life is for these people, on the contrary, we want to tell you stories about Siamese twins who are doing well.

Chang and Eng Bunker

Chang and Eng were born on May 11, 1811 in Siam, in what is now Thailand. It was after the Bunker brothers became known to the world that the fused twins began to be called Siamese. It should be noted that the king of Siam was so struck by the birth of Chang and Eng that he ordered the twins to be killed immediately so as not to bring disaster to the state. But the mother refused to give up her boys, and the king's order was never carried out.

At the same time, the medical technologies of the 19th century did not leave Chang and Eng any chance of separation: the brothers were thoracopagi (twins fused in the chest), and in this case the heart is always affected. Even with the current level of medicine, the chances of surviving a separation are very small, and then it meant certain death. Therefore, Chang and Eng grew up like ordinary children - in fact, they had no choice.

When the brothers were teenagers, British businessman Robert Hunter noticed them and invited Chang and Eng to perform in his circus, demonstrating their body and its abilities. It was a big risk, but Hunter turned out to be an honest man. The brothers toured the UK and the US until they were 21 and became wealthy after the end of their contract with Hunter.

Chang and Eng moved to the US, took the surname Bunker, entered into a contract with the famous Phineas Barnum Circus and bought a farm. On April 13, 1843, a double wedding took place: Chang and Eng married two sisters - Adelaide and Sarah Ann Aytes. In these marriages, Chang had 10 children, and Eng had 11.

The brothers lived on their farm in a circle loving family until his death in 1874: Chang fell ill with pneumonia and died, and Eng died a few hours later. They were 63 years old.

Rose and Joseph Blazek

The sisters from Bohemia (now the Czech Republic) were born in 1878. It was not possible to separate the sisters, fused in the pelvic area. The parents of Rosa and Josepha were so frightened by this that at first they decided simply not to feed the sisters so that they would starve to death. It is not known for what reason they changed their minds, but Rosa and Josepha grew up. Since it was difficult for them to study with ordinary children, the parents preferred to teach the sisters music and, oddly enough, dancing. The sisters played the violin and harp and really knew how to dance, each with her own partner. They performed regularly and were generally successful. And then Rose fell in love.

Her chosen one was German officer, who almost quarreled with her sister Rosa. Rosa and Josepha had one external genitalia for two, so at first there was no question of any intimate relationship. However, later Josepha relented and allowed her sister to reunite with her lover. And something happened that no one expected: Rosa became pregnant. It was Rosa, because each of the sisters had her own uterus. The newborn was named Franz. It was an absolutely healthy baby, whom the sisters brought up together, since both of them had milk. At the same time, legally, they were also both considered the mothers of Franz. The baby's father, unfortunately, died in the war.

After Rosa and Josepha had novels, once the sisters even wanted to get married, but they were not allowed to: according to the law, such a marriage would be considered bigamy. But in any case, the sisters managed to know both the love and the happiness of motherhood.

Rose and Joseph died in 1922. Josepha fell ill with jaundice, and the doctors offered Rosa a separation in order to save at least her. Rose refused. “If Josepha dies, I want to die too,” she said.

Millie and Christina McCoy

Fate has prepared cruel trials for the black sisters Millie and Christina: twins fused back and pelvis were born into a family of slaves in northern California. When they were 8 months old, the owner sold them along with their mother, but the new owner preferred to immediately resell the twins to the circus of freaks. From where the girls were soon kidnapped. Only three years later they were discovered in England and returned to the United States.

Then their owner, apparently, decided that the fused twins themselves were not so interesting to the public, and began to teach the girls to sing. So Milli and Christina, who had no chance of separation or freedom, got a chance to realize their talents. The girls sang really well.

After the death of the owner of the slaves, his son Joseph inherited, who invented for the sisters new legend: Milli and Christina became Milli-Christina, one girl with two heads, four arms and four legs. This is exactly how he represented his wards. But it didn't matter anymore. Milli and Christina sang so beautifully that fans came to see not them physical features and enjoy the voices of the sisters. The "two-headed nightingale", as Milli and Christina were called, became extraordinarily popular. Soon the girls began not only to sing, but also to play musical instruments and even dance.

And then civil war and the abolition of slavery, Millie and Christina not only gained freedom, but became very rich and respected ladies. Musical talent allowed them to earn a comfortable life. At the age of 58, the sisters left the stage and became Millie and Christina again. They returned to North Carolina, bought a house in Columbus, and spent the rest of their days relaxing. They died at the age of 61.

Abigail and Brittany Hensel

Perhaps the most famous living Siamese twins are sisters Abigail and Brittany Hensel from the USA. This is the rarest case of surviving (and living a full life!) Dicephalic twins: two sisters have two heads, one torso, two arms, two legs and three lungs. Each has its own heart and stomach, but the blood supply between them is common. The two spinal cords end in one pelvis, and they have all the organs below the waist in common. In fact, dicephali look like a person with two heads. And at the same time they manage to lead a full life.

Each of the sisters controls their half of the body, but Brittany and Abigail have learned to coordinate movements with such precision that they can run, swim, ride a bicycle and even drive a car (each has its own driver's license). The girls studied at a regular school and in childhood both dreamed of becoming doctors. Parents strongly supported any hobbies of the sisters, and therefore Brittany and Abigail managed not to feel like outcasts: they never hid at home and tried not to react to the increased attention of strangers. As a result, the girls live a full life: they have many friends and hobbies.

Moreover, the girls graduated from the university with a degree in mathematics teacher, and each received a license. They got a job, but they get the same salary for two. “Of course, we immediately realized that we would have one salary, because we do the work of one person,” says Abby.

Zita and Gita are Siamese twins who were born with fused hip bones and had three legs. The girls appeared in Kyrgyzstan, in a family where there were already healthy children. In 2003, a successful operation was carried out in Moscow to separate them, after which the whole country learned about what had happened. And history knows a lot of such people. We want to tell you about some of them.

Why are Siamese twins born?

Siamese twins appear if a fertilized oocyte (ovum) does not begin its division on the sixth day of pregnancy. After this period, the cells of the embryo can no longer completely separate into two fetuses, and their complete separation becomes impossible. The survival rate of such babies is very low, half of them are born already dead and only 10% grow up.

Medicine divided possible options accretion into 15 types and each got its name depending on the area of ​​accretion:

• Craniopagi - have a fused skull and two normal bodies;
• Dicephali - one body, two heads and a different number of limbs;
• Pitopagi - have a common sacrum.

Many couples live almost full lives. They fall in love, have children and fight each other:

• Rose and Joseph Blazek had one sexual organ for two, but this did not stop them from becoming mothers. Rosa had an admirer, from whom she became pregnant and gave birth to a boy;
• It is, of course, difficult for people who are in the same body to coexist. Especially if they have two full-fledged heads. Thus, Chang and Eng Bunker constantly fought. The situation was aggravated by the fact that Chang was an alcoholic, and Eng led healthy lifestyle life and constantly condemned his brother.

People have always tried to separate twins. It is known that 200 operations were carried out, but all of them ended unsuccessfully. Only in 1689 in Germany was the first successful surgical intervention performed, the children were separated, fused at the waist. A total of 50 successful operations were recorded, after which both or one of the people survived. According to statistics, 65% of cases end in saving patients.

Siamese twins Chang and Eng: parents of this name

Unusual boys were born in 1811 in the kingdom of Siam (now Thailand). They were connected in the region of the sternum. Doctors today would have no problem separating them, but the technology of the time did not allow this.

The matured brothers got a job in a circus for a British businessman. They toured with him all over the world and the number with their participation was a huge success. After the end of the contract, the men moved to America and signed a contract with another circus, which became known as " Siamese twins».

Thanks to these brothers and their fame, all subsequent cases of the birth of undivided children received this name.

The brothers were completely independent people and were even able to arrange a personal life, have children. Chang had 11 of them, Eng had 10.

They died of pneumonia at the age of 63.

Siamese twins Masha and Dasha

Girls Maria and Daria were born in 1950 in an ordinary family. When the doctors took delivery and saw the children, they took them for examination and did not inform the mother about what had happened, but told her that the babies had died.

The sisters were ischiopagus - they had a common abdominal cavity and pelvic bones, as well as two heads and three legs.

Girls began to study physiology. In the center of traumatology they were taught to move using crutches, they were given an education. It was decided to amputate the third leg when they grew up. Still, moving was difficult for them. Therefore, the girls could not exist independently and lived on a disability pension.

The surgeons wanted to separate the women, but they categorically refused the operation.

Masha and Dasha suffered from alcoholism and soon they had a whole bunch of related diseases: cirrhosis of the liver, pulmonary edema. In 2003, Maria's heart stopped, but Dasha did not notice anything, thinking that her sister was sleeping. She also died soon after. In total, women lived 40 years.

Siamese twins Abigail and Brittany

Another unique people are Abigail and Brittany Hensle from the USA. This is the very rare case when physically connected girls can live a full life. Women are a rare breed dicephali, which have a common circulatory system, one torso, two heads and limbs, like a normal person. Each is responsible for its own part of the body and limbs.

They are so good at mastering coordination that the girls were able to learn to ride a bike and drive a car.

In addition, Abigail and Brittany graduated from the university and got a job as a teacher. primary school. The only drawback in this is that they are paid one salary, since they work for one. But at the same time, the sisters claim that they are completely different. Sometimes they quarrel and even fight a little, but more often they resolve issues by compromise.

The girls were born in 1990 and live with their parents. They are completely independent, go in for sports, communicate with friends, love to cook. This is one of the amazing cases of such a full-fledged existence of Siamese twins.

The Galion brothers: the oldest twins

Men are the oldest twins today. Ronnie and Donnie were born in 1951 in the USA. After the birth of unusual boys, doctors have been looking for a way to separate them for a long time, but any operation was associated with a huge risk to the lives of children. Therefore, the parents refused the help of doctors and took the children home.

At the age of 4, the boys were hired to work in a circus, they brought a good income to the family. The parents wanted to send the brothers to school, but they were expelled from there, as they prevented the rest from studying, attracting everyone's attention.

Then the guys returned to the circus, where they worked until the age of 39. After that, already grown men went to live with their healthy brother Jim. His family welcomed Ronnie and Donnie with joy and organized the house so that they could move around it.

Ronnie and Donnie have 4 arms, 4 legs, two hearts, each has a stomach. But the intestines are one, as well as the sexual organ. The latter, interestingly, is run entirely by Donny.

The twins had health problems, they suffered a serious infectious disease with complications. Today, their lives are out of danger, and they have already outlived Chang and Eng, celebrating their 66th birthday.

So, we told you who the Siamese twins are, which couples have become famous. Zita and Gita are among the few who have undergone a severe separation operation. They told you stories and other extraordinary people. Each of them is unique and tragic in its own way, but this does not prevent them from living a full happy life.

Video: top 5 most unusual couples

In this video, Denis Venin will show the 5 most unusual pairs of Siamese twins, tell you why they became famous:

There will be many more bright moments in the life of Ben Carson, including work with other pairs of conjoined twins. Why is this story so important? The fact is that craniopagia (the phenomenon of twins growing together with their heads) has always been considered a complex pathology, almost inoperable, because we are talking not about the cranium, but about the brain, which must be divided into two parts without damaging. But craniopagia is rare. And what other deviations are encountered, what is the reason for this “mistake of nature” and how the fate of the Siamese twins develops - let's try to figure it out.

division error

If all cases are taken into account, then the probability of a pair of Siamese twins is one in 50,000. Therefore, scientists cannot collect enough data to find a convincing answer to the question about the causes of deviation. Science already knows that the cause of the connection is a violation of the development of the zygote (fertilized egg). And here there are two points of view - division or merger. AT normal flow multiple pregnancy separation into two organisms occurs on the 3-8th day after conception. And the delay until the 13th-14th day leads to the appearance of Siamese twins: the zygote does not divide to the end and both fetuses continue to develop fused. According to another theory, the zygote starts dividing too early, and then future organisms at some point partially “stick together” back. And two babies developing in the mother's belly have a common organ or even a set of organs.

But why does it crash? Research offers a lot of theories, none of which can yet be either refuted or definitively confirmed. Delayed cleavage of the zygote can be caused by genetic factors or exposure to toxic substances. There is even an assumption that psychiatric abnormalities (split personality and increased stress) affect the development of the fetus in this case.

Modern methods of prenatal diagnosis (ultrasound, MRI) allow doctors to prepare for possible complications at the birth of Siamese twins. If nothing threatens the lives of the connected children, then the separation is not carried out immediately: the newborns are given the opportunity to get a little stronger. Fortunately, the current surgical methods are effective and the prognosis of survival after surgery is significantly improving.

One or two?

The rise in successful separation operations raises ethical questions for society. Should Siamese twins be considered one person or two separate individuals? Give them one or two sets of documents? How to involve legal or criminal liability if the crime is committed by one of the conjoined twins? These and other problems are discussed both in scientific circles and among practicing lawyers, doctors, and psychologists.

The first question is whether it is necessary to keep the pregnancy when it becomes known about the pathology? Throughout the observation of the development of embryos and in the future, when deciding whether to separate or maintain the relationship of two twins, doctors are constantly faced with an ethical dilemma: are fused twins one person (after all, they can have many common organs, including the brain! ) or two. Separation becomes the main goal after birth, and its meaning is not just to save both twins life, but to improve its quality. What choice to make if on the scales - freedom against possible death? In 2003, the operation to separate the sisters Ladan and Laleh Bijani from Iran ended in the death of 29-year-old girls, connected by their heads. The sisters knew that a sad outcome was very likely, but they went for it, as they themselves stated, for the sake of the hope of freedom. It is even more difficult to make a choice when it is known in advance that one of the twins will be doomed, while the other will receive a full life.

This formulation of the question emphasizes that, being unseparated, Siamese twins cannot lead a productive life. However, there are examples that prove otherwise. Daisy and Violetta Hilton, fused at the hips, performed in front of the public from the age of three. Famous actresses and fashion models of the 1930s, the sisters had many boyfriends and were married, enjoyed talking to journalists like real stars, and were friends with Harry Houdini.

An important and widely debated ethical question is whether twins should be considered one or two individuals. The most common point of view is that twins with individual brains and two bodies are still two separate people. However, this is a concern for twins with two separate heads and a common body. Studies show that from a psychological and intellectual point of view, unseparated twins still form two different personalities over the years, which means that these are two people with equal rights.

Hello from Siam

For centuries, people considered the conjoined twins to be either gods or omens of trouble. The myth of the two-faced Janus, an ancient Roman deity, most likely alludes to Siamese twins. One of the oldest images of conjoined twins is a figurine of a "double goddess" found in Ankara. According to scientists, the figurine depicting two people connected by their sides is about 3000 years old. Similar finds were made in Mexico, where the same ancient figurines with several heads came across.

The earliest document describing a case of fusion tells of the sisters Mary and Eliza united at the waist and shoulders. The Biddenden Maidens, as they are called, were born in 1100 and lived for 34 years.

The first documented attempt at separation was made in the 10th century in Byzantium. One of the twins died, and the surgeons of that time tried to separate him from the living one. But two days later, the second brother also died. And the first more or less successful attempt the Swiss Johannes Fatio undertook in 1689: he successfully separated two girls fused with their stomachs, but another doctor, Emmanuel Koenig, who described this case in a scientific journal, won his fame.

The conjoined twins got their informal name because of the story of Eng and Chang Bunker, who were born in Siam in 1811. Bunkers, fused in the chest area, lived a long life, performed in the circus and were widely known in the world.

Types of anomalies

Due to the structural features of Siamese twins, the question of a possible separation is considered each time on an individual basis - there are no uniform methods. Science classifies conjoined twins based on their "common place". And each type of pathology has its own embryological history, leading to irregular forms. We will only mention the most common anomalies.

Omphalopagi

The twins meet in the abdomen, from the lower ribcage to the groin. In 2013, in the Altai Territory, doctors not only separated two omphalopathic girls, while giving each of them independence and a full life. The chief surgeon, who had heard about the history of Siamese twins, who, after the operation, were embarrassed by the absence of a navel on their stomach, thought out this delicate moment as well.

Thoracopagus

This variant differs from omphalopagy in that the twins share a heart or any part of the heart tissue.

In 2003, newborns Masha and Anya Yakushenkov were operated on in St. Petersburg: the girls fused with their breasts and bellies. During the operation, it turned out that the twins' two hearts were located in the same heart sac. However, this did not prevent the surgeons from completing the work successfully, and one of the girls later underwent additional heart surgery.

pygopagi

Connected back in the region of the sacrum. In January 2017, two 11-month-old pygopas Bellany and Balleny Camaho were separated in New York. In preparation for the most complex operation, surgeons worked with a 3D model of the lower part of the twins. The girls had common urinary organs and part of the gastrointestinal tract, as well as connected spines.

Ischiopagi

They are connected mainly by the pelvis, but can be connected up to the diaphragm - both facing and back to each other. One of the most famous separation stories in Russia is the fate of the twins Zita and Gita Rezakhanov. They went for surgery in 2003 at the age of 11. Zita died 12 years later from an illness, Gita is still alive.

craniopagi

This is a rare form of union in the cranial region, accounting for 2 to 6% of all conjoined twins. These twins often have normal limbs. Attachments can be in any area of ​​the skull.

At the Burdenko Moscow Institute of Neurosurgery in 1989, Academician Alexander Konovalov performed an operation to separate two girls from Lithuania - Viliya and Vitalia Tamulevicius. The twins were 11 months old. Now only a deformed skull reminds the girls of this fact, otherwise they are healthy.

Throughout human history, many cases of conjoined twins have been described. Actually, this pathology itself is rare - 1 case per 50 thousand. Moreover, since most Siamese twins do not survive childbirth, it is customary to talk about a ratio of 1: 200 000. Among Siamese twins, there are three times more girls than boys, and most often they are same-sex couples. Although there are isolated cases of heterosexual twins.

In the last half century, the number of operations for a safe separation has been growing, but there are rumors and stories of couples who remain connected all their lives. For example, Americans Ronnie and Donnie Galion celebrated their 65th birthday last year and are the longest-lived Siamese twins. The twins are connected in the abdomen and have one digestive tract for two, so it was impossible to separate them.

Cases of fused twins are not only found in humans. True, the chance to meet such twins in nature is small: these animals are weak and quickly become victims of predators. Therefore, in museums of natural sciences, we can most often see stuffed animals or preparations of two-headed mice, six-legged calves and other domesticated animals.