HEARTLESS

Conjoined twin baby girls
connected at the abdomen are
abandoned in Chinese orphanage ........Baby girls left at the institution in Pingdingshan
City, Henan, in August Have been named Zheng Hanjing and Zheng
Hanwei by staff Transferred to Beijing where doctors hope they
can be separated Due to undergo tests to see if they share any
vital organs Conjoined twin baby girls have been abandoned at an
orphanage in China after it is believed their parents
could not afford to care for them. The girls, who are only about three months old, are
connected by their abdomens and lie face-to-face. They are awaiting specialist treatment in Beijing where it
is hoped they can be separated. The girls were handed to the organisation in
Pingdingshan City, Henan Province, on August 11 and
have since been named Zheng Hanjing and Zheng
Hanwei. However, it is not known exactly how old they are. MORE... The models in masks: Shocking images show women
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fine ¿¿¿¿¿ Hanjing and Hanwei have been transferred to a
children's home in Beijing while they await a variety of
tests to determine if they share any vital organs. They are being cared for by Mercy Corps children's
home and staff member Deng Zhixin said that from 140
rescued children, this was their first case of conjoined
twins. She told Chinese news site Fawan that she refused to 'judge' the twin's mother for abandoning them. She said it was likely their mother may have been forced
to give up her children because of poverty and being
unable to afford proper medical care. Deng said the pair are 'lively' and they are turned by staff
every hour as they cannot roll by themselves. It is hoped the twins could be separated as early as this
month but surgeons still need to determine what, if any,
organs the babies are connected by. Next week the babies will be given a heart examination
and abdominal ultrasounds to see if any organs are
shared. About one in every 200,000 live births worldwide result
in conjoined twins. Around 40 to 60 per cent of conjoined twins arrive
stillborn, and about 35 per cent survive only one day
and long-term survival is between five and 25 per cent. The condition is three times more likely to occur among
females than males and a third of conjoined twins are
attached at the lower chest, sharing organs. Although success rates have improved over the years,
surgical separation is still rare. Since 1950, at least one twin has survived separation
about 75 per cent of the time.