The baby born with two faces
Little Gilang Andika was born with one of the world’s rarest human deformities
LIKE most expectant mothers, she spent the nine months leading up to her baby’s birth eagerly awaiting her firstborn’s arrival. There was no indication anything was wrong. Ernilasari Andika from Batam, Indonesia, had three ultrasound scans during her pregnancy and doctors told her everything seemed okay. But her baby had a large head and was in a breech position, which meant he’d probably have to be delivered by Caesarian section.
That’s what happened – and when little Gilang came into the world everyone was taken aback. The baby boy had two faces and two brains but only one head and the situation was dire, doctors told the new mom.
Gilang has diprosopus (Greek for twofaced), one of the rarest human deformities known to medical science. It’s so rare, in fact, that fewer than 50 cases have been documented since 1864. The condition is also known as craniofacial duplication and causes part or all of the face to grow twice because a fertilised egg doesn’t split properly in the womb.
Gilang is actually part of conjoined twins, doctors say – his brother just didn’t develop beyond his brain and face.
Most babies born with the condition don’t survive beyond birth and Gilang, at two months, is already being regarded as something of a medical miracle.
To give Gilang a chance at living a “normal” life, his doctors would have to perform high-risk surgery to remove one brain and face, as well as part of his skull.
It’s a risk they’re not willing to take right now because the little boy also has hydrocephalus – water on the brain – which could, should he live, leave him with permanent brain damage.
Dr Nenden Ismawati, who’s been looking after Gilang at Awal Bros Hospital in Batam, says specialists are cautious to perform surgery as its chances of success are extremely slim.
“We suggested surgery to one of the hospitals in [the capital] Jakarta, which has better equipment than Awal Bros Hospital, but it also doesn’t mean he can be operated on right away,” Ismawati says. “Doctors in Jakarta are still discussing the case.”
Gilang can’t be breastfed and has to be given milk through a tube.
“We hope he’ll survive. But there are many challenges ahead,” the doctor says.