I was interested in finding out if attitudes and treatments of conjoined twins vary from Western culture to Eastern culture. I was considering whether perhaps Eastern cultures would be less likely to medically intervene due to their focus on collectivism, differing religious beliefs, and economical means.
I then came upon a story of Xinxin and Qiaoqiao in Chongqing, China. The news story shared very similar language and observational notes that were used back when physicians observed Chang and Eng.
Doctors and several hospitals were quick to offer help, often free of charge, as the case began to receive significant media attention. The first thing the hospital “needed” to do was examine the twins, which would determine whether they could be separated.
“We had to take great risks to do the examinations,” says Meng, the babies' doctor. “Even a small mistake could lead to disastrous results.”
It was discovered that the twins were not dicephalus, which refers to a baby that has two heads but only one set of organs. The story even provides the reader with the exact weight of the twins’ heart, the number of organs they had, and even an X-ray image of the twins (in order to satisfy our senses). It was eventually concluded the twins could not be separated. However, the doctors also concluded that certain birth defects might lead to pulmonary hypertension, causing blood clots in the lungs and infections that lessened blood flow and oxygen supply to the hearts. Doctors had to resort to ventilators and antibiotics. They decided to use an invasive ventilator on Xinxin. But it was discovered that Xinxin's inflated lungs had a deleterious effect on Qiaoqiao.
On Oct 3, the twins died of massive heart failure. "The congenital cardiac and pulmonary malformation was the direct cause of death," Meng concludes. However, it was noted that the nutrients and medicine supplied by the doctors increased the burden on their kidneys and livers, but Meng shares, “But we had no choice.”
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