Siamese twin, girls joined at the chest and stomach were born at Hadassah Hospital last night. The infants, weighing seven pounds together, were reported in good health. They are the first Siamese twins born in Israel to survive.
It was the first pregnancy for their mother, a 20-year-old Jerusalem resident. The birth, supervised by Dr. Eliezer Orenstein, was normal. Siamese twins are usually delivered by Caesarian section and it is estimated that no more than 4-5 such twins are born throughout the world each year.
Specialists are examining the babies to determine if an operation to separate them is feasible. The decision will depend on whether the twins have separate hearts and circulatory systems. Such operations have a high rate of success. On the other hand, Siamese twins who-cannot be separated have been known to survive to adulthood.
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