Limpopo Woman Gives Birth to Conjoined Twins, Hopes for Life-Saving Surgery
- A woman in Limpopo gave birth to conjoined twins at the Mankweng Hospital near Polokwane
- The doctors were working to stabilise and assess the twins for possible surgery
- The mother, who asked not to be named, said she was still coming to terms with the rare birth
Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.
Source: Getty Images
LIMPOPO, POLOKWANE - A 29-year-old woman who gave birth to conjoined twins at the Mankweng Hospital outside Polokwane in Limpopo has expressed hope that doctors will be able to save her babies.
Woman gave birth to conjoined twins
The twins, who were born over the weekend, are joined at the abdomen. The mother, who asked not to be named, said she was still coming to terms with the rare birth. She described the experience as overwhelming and said she had never imagined finding herself in such a situation. While still in shock, she said she remained grateful and hopeful, believing that medical staff would do everything possible to help her children.
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Speaking to SABC News, DR Nyaweleni Tshifularo, a paediatric surgeon at Mankweng Hospital, said the priority was to stabilise the babies by ensuring they were alive and healthy. He stated that the second step was to examine and scan them to see which parts of the bodies are joined together. He added that now that they've successfully examined the bodies, the multi-disciplinary team will make the decision. He noted that he believes the babies will do very well after the surgery.
How do babies become conjoined?
Babies become conjoined as a result of a rare complication during the early stages of identical twinning.
Dr Tshiflaro explained that during pregnancy, a single fertilised egg is meant to split into two separate embryos. In cases of conjoined twins, this process does not fully happen. Something occurs in the uterus before birth that prevents the embryos from separating, leaving the babies physically joined.
South Africans weigh in
@Markosonke1 said:
"Real heroes are in hospitals saving lives, not in Parliament saving themselves. Wishing strength to this mother and her babies."
@bathabilen said:
"Eish, shame man."
@kc8775936 said:
"Please don't give up. God is in control."
@Markosonke1 said:
"Bless you and your family."
Source: Getty Images
Other similar stories
A week after being born, the Limpopo conjoined twins took their last breath on Thursday, 14 April. The babies were born to a 41-year-old woman via C-section at the Jane Furse Hospital and were later transferred to the Mankweng Neonatal ICU. Several specialists from Mankweng-Pietersburg Complex and Dr George Mukhari Central Hospital worked hard to find the best possible outcome for their future.
A grateful mum and her husband have come out to thank doctors and everyone involved in the successful surgery that saw their conjoined twins separated. Maggie Altobelli and her husband, Dom, took time to shower praises on people who spent 10 hours working on the ''miracle''.
Conjoined twin Abby kissing husband during wedding
Briefly News previously reported that a video has emerged showing the moment Josh Bowling bent over to kiss his new bride, Abby, who is conjoined to her twin sister, Brittany.
While that was happening, 34-year-old Brittany just watched without flinching an eye.
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Source: Briefly News
