Conjoined twins

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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

Conjoined twins are rare — about 10 occur in every million births. It's not known if anything makes some couples more likely to have conjoined twins. It is known, however, that conjoined twins occur more often in India and Africa than they do in the United States.

References
  1. From 'monsters' to modern medical miracles: Selected moments in the history of conjoined twins from medieval to modern times. United States National Library of Medicine. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/conjoined/embryology.html. Accessed Sept. 2, 2008.
  2. Roque H, et al. Monoamniotic twin pregnancy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 2, 2008.
  3. Stone JL, et al. The craniopagus malformation: Classification and implications for surgical separation. Brain. 2006;129(5):1084-1095.
  4. Spitz L, et al. Success rate for surgery of conjoined twins. The Lancet. 2000;356:1765.
  5. Wilcox DT, et al. Urological problems in conjoined twins. British Journal of Urology. 1998;81:905-910.
  6. Carnevale FC, et al. Importance of angiographic study in preoperative planning of conjoined twins: Case report. Clinics. 2006;61(2): 167-170.
  7. Pajkrt E, et al. First-trimester diagnosis of conjoined twins. Prenatal Diagnosis. 2005;25(9):820-826.
  8. Kaufman M. The embryology of conjoined twins. Child's Nervous System. International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery. 2004;20(8-9):508-525.
  9. Gilbert S. Types of conjoined twins. In: Gilbert S. Developmental Biology. 8th ed.
  10. Sunderland, Mass.: Sinauer Associates, Inc; 2006. http://8e.devbio.com/article.php?id=112&search=conjoined%20twins. Accessed Sept. 2, 2008.

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Nov. 19, 2008

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