The two-headed baby born in Bangladesh died on Aug 26, 2008 after the parents decided to return home from the hospital, against doctor’s advice, because they couldn’t afford further medical care. Born by caesarean section, the imperiled baby boy named Kiron, weighing 5.5 lbs. had one body and two full heads. Photo Credit: AFP =0=
It is estimated that birth defects occur in about 2-3% of live births, a fifth of them, severe enough to cause death. About 40-60% of congenital defects in humans are sporadic and do not have a known cause. The rest can be ascribed to genetics or to multiple environmental factors such as infections, drugs, teratogenic chemicals, metabolic factors, radiation, etc and a combination thereof. It is uncertain whether the baby would have survived had he been treated vigorously in a well-equipped medical facility.
The unusual bicephalic baby reminds us of the mythical two-headed eagle, a symbol of heraldry duality, and orthodoxy in armorial insignias found in flags in the Roman and Byzantine times. The bi-headed eagle remains as an intriguing accent in the coat of arms of certain organizations, the Russian Empire, Serbia, Greek Orthodox Church and in flags of countries like Albania and Montenegro. Photo Credit:Antonio Martins =0=
Ibalon 