A High Court judge in Britain yesterday ruled that Siamese twins could undergo surgery to separate them, even though the parents of the two girls are opposed to the surgery because they know it means that one of the babies will die, Rachel Donnelly reports.
For the first time in Britain, surgeons were granted permission to separate the girls, who were born at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester on August 8th. The girls have been given false names - Jodie and Mary - to protect their identities.
Their parents are now considering whether to start an appeal against the decision.
The two girls are joined at the lower abdomen. Jodie was born with all her organs intact and has been described by doctors as a "bright, alert baby". However, Mary has no effective heart or lung function and lives only because of her physical attachment to her sister. She receives her blood supply and oxygen from her sister, who is effectively Mary's life support machine.
Granting the hospital's application to have the twins separated after a private court hearing, Mr Justice Johnson said he had "attached great weight" to the parents' wishes that neither of their children should die. But he said medical evidence had shown that if the twins were not separated, both would die within three to six months because of the strain on Jodie's heart and lungs.