Conjoined twins ‘holding their own’

PRELIMINARY evaluations have shown that the conjoined twin girls born at Swakopmund on Monday do not share any organs, regional health director Christencia Thataone told The Namibian yesterday.

She said the girls have beeb transferred to the Windhoek State Hospital, where their rare birth condition is now being evaluated by a paediatrician, Dr Johan Baard, and other medical specialists. “They both passed two separate stools yesterday, and according to preliminary tests, it does not seem like they’re sharing major organs,” she said.”They seem to have their own hearts, lungs, kidneys and liver.”Dr Baard did not wish to comment, saying further tests are being done to confirm this good news.He said the tests should be complete by today.The last conjoined twins born in Namibia were born in Oshakati on September 11 2006.The twin girls, Taimi Talohole and Monika Ngendinomuwa, shared a single heart.The Namibian incorrectly reported yesterday that the girls died of heart failure when they were separated.In fact, they died of heart failure before an attempt could be made to separate them.While doctors are now putting their heads together to decide whether the Swakop twins can be separated, a window period of a couple of weeks will be allowed for them to grow stronger and increase in weight, according to Thataone.Their mother, Martha Dawis, is with them in Windhoek.”They both passed two separate stools yesterday, and according to preliminary tests, it does not seem like they’re sharing major organs,” she said.”They seem to have their own hearts, lungs, kidneys and liver.”Dr Baard did not wish to comment, saying further tests are being done to confirm this good news.He said the tests should be complete by today.The last conjoined twins born in Namibia were born in Oshakati on September 11 2006.The twin girls, Taimi Talohole and Monika Ngendinomuwa, shared a single heart.The Namibian incorrectly reported yesterday that the girls died of heart failure when they were separated.In fact, they died of heart failure before an attempt could be made to separate them.While doctors are now putting their heads together to decide whether the Swakop twins can be separated, a window period of a couple of weeks will be allowed for them to grow stronger and increase in weight, according to Thataone.Their mother, Martha Dawis, is with them in Windhoek.