Siamese twins Nunik 1 and Nunik 2 die

Siamese twins Nunik 1 and Nunik 2 die

Female Siamese twins died on Thursday at the Cipto Mangunkusumo
General Hospital (RSCM) due to their sharing one heart and one
liver.

The babies, who were born in Bogor on May 30 and joined at the
chest and abdomen, died before they were due to undergo major
surgery to separate them.

Pediatrician department chief, doctor Asril Aminullah, said on
Friday that it would have been almost impossible for the team of
35 doctors to separate a single heart and a liver in order to
save both babies' lives.

The twins, dubbed Nunik 1 and Nunik 2, born to Dedeh, a local
resident of Bogor, weighed 5.6 kilograms and were 41 centimeters
long.

Another pair of female Siamese twins, Ferina and Ferini, are
reportedly in good condition.

"They will undergo a second operation to separate them," Asril
said, declining to mention the date of the surgery.

The first surgery to construct a rectum took place early this
month to protect them from possible complications.

Ferina and Ferini were born in Serang, Banten, on April 12
from mother Nuni and father Nurul Falah.

"The team of doctors will let them return home in the near
future before the major surgery takes place," Asril said.

Experts say in every 40,000 births there will be one pair of
Siamese twins. Siamese twins are more likely to be female than
male, at a ratio of 3:1. -- JP