Gilang Andika Indonesian boy born with two faces and an extra brain Date of Birth: 01.01.2018 Country: Indonesia

1. Birth of a Boy with Two Faces and an Extra Brain
2. Hydrocephalus and Other Complications
3. Parental Desperation
4. Diprosopus and the Challenge of Surgery
5. Medical Uncertainties
6. Risky Surgical Option
7. Historical Reference

Birth of a Boy with Two Faces and an Extra Brain

In Indonesia, a young boy was born with two faces and an extra brain, a remnant of his undeveloped conjoined twin. Now two months old, Gilang Endika, from the Indonesian city of Batam, located just 12 miles south of Singapore, has two faces, two brains, and a single skull.

Hydrocephalus and Other Complications

Along with his deformed head, the infant suffers from hydrocephalus, a life-threatening brain condition involving a buildup of excess fluid. Gilang has a normal body with two arms and two legs, yet he is classified as conjoined twins since his brother's face and brain have attached to him due to their inability to develop independently in the womb. The mother's fertilized cell had failed to fully divide during pregnancy.

Parental Desperation

The boy's parents, Ernilasari and Mustafa, are desperate to save their son's life. However, local doctors have admitted their inability to assist. Gilang's rare condition prevents him from being breastfed, so milk is fed to him through a special tube. Doctors have stated that the hydrocephalus gives the "boy with two faces" a low chance of survival.

Diprosopus and the Challenge of Surgery

Many children with hydrocephalus have major brain damage, leading to difficulties with learning, speech, vision, memory, and epilepsy. Ernilasari and Mustafa were unaware of the severe challenges they would face until Gilang was delivered via cesarean section.

They seek opinions from different medical specialists but lack the financial means. Dr. Nenden Ismawati, who looked after Endika in a Batam hospital, has indicated that doctors are unlikely to perform a life-saving operation.

Medical Uncertainties

"We recommended that they go to one of the hospitals in Jakarta where the equipment is better than here," Ismawati said. "But it doesn't mean there will be an immediate surgery because doctors in Jakarta are still dealing with different opinions."

Ernilasari insists that she felt nothing unusual during her pregnancy. Doctors who conducted three ultrasounds also failed to detect any abnormalities.

"One of the doctors only told us that my baby's head was large and he was positioned in a breech position," Ernilasari recalled.

Gilang is believed to be suffering from a birth defect known as diprosopus (craniofacial duplication), in which conjoined twins have two faces on a single skull.

Risky Surgical Option

The only hope for the Indonesian baby is a risky surgery that would involve removing the foreign brain and face along with a portion of his skull. Conjoined twins originate from a single fertilized egg that fails to fully separate.

The most common connection occurs at the abdomen or chest. Separating the twins is a complex and life-threatening procedure, and not all twins—due to shared organs or other complications—are candidates for separation.

After separation, the survival rate for at least one of the conjoined twins is estimated at 75%.

Historical Reference

The term "Siamese twins" was popularized by Chang and Eng Bunker, conjoined twins who lived in Siam (now Thailand) in the 19th century.