"I'll Raise Him As He Is": Baby Born with Two Heads and Three Arms in India

Indian media is abuzz with reports of a unique baby born this week to Bavita and Jaswant Singh Ahirwe—a conjoined twin with two heads and three arms.

Conjoined twins, also known as 'Siamese twins', are twins that are physically connected at various parts of their bodies. The term 'Siamese' originated from the first known case of conjoined twins, Eng and Chang Bunker, who were born in Siam between 1811-1874 and became famous for their unique career choice as circus performers despite their condition.

This phenomenon occurs when there is no separation of the embryo after fertilization. To date, conjoined twins have been joined at the hips, skulls, backs, and even internal organs like the heart and digestive system.

The new mother shared that the moment she saw her newborn, she fainted and thought it was a punishment. "When the nurses handed me my baby, I had mixed feelings," she told the media. She was shocked when they removed the blanket covering the baby. "I saw our first-born has two heads and three arms. We wanted a healthy baby, but the divine decided to punish us, though I don't know why." Her husband, Jaswant, however, stated his intention to raise the child and not abandon him. "This is my child, and I will raise him as he is," he declared.