Conjoined Twins Born at CHOP Prepare to Go Home

Conjoined twins, twins that are born connected at one or more parts of their bodies, are incredibly rare. This kind of twinning occurs in only one of every 200,000 births. Abby and Erin Delaney are among the rarest type of conjoined twins – craniopagus, or joined at the top of the head. They were separated successfully in an eleven-hour operation that took place when they were ten months old. Since then, they have been working on healing and on occupational, developmental, and speech therapies. In all that time, they have not left the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). In fact, their mother, Heather Delaney, has not been back to her home state of North Carolina since she was 26 weeks pregnant.

A pair of separated conjoined twins born at CHOP are nearing readiness to go home thanks to the skillful care they received in Philadelphia.

The Delaneys chose CHOP for Heather’s maternity care and the care of the girls, since the hospital has unprecedented experience in the United States with separating conjoined twins. The hospital has performed 22 separations in the 60 years it has been operational, although Abby and Erin are the first craniopagus pair to be operated on. The girls were good candidates for separation because they shared little brain tissue. What little they did share, however, was important: the sagittal sinus, a major cranial blood vessel that drains blood from the brain to the heart and other organs. Damage to the sagittal sinus can cause death or developmental disabilities. Right now it is too early to tell what (if any) lasting effects the girls will have from their surgery. Their doctors are optimistic, as both girls are making developmental gains. Erin, the stronger twin, is starting to crawl and can eat pureed foods, although she is still being fed via feeding tube, since she doesn’t like eating real food yet. Abby can hold her head up and roll over, as well as turn the pages in books.

The family is hoping to be back home together for the holidays. Erin has been discharged, but Abby remains a patient at CHOP. The Delaneys are hopeful that, with no setbacks, they will be able to make it back to North Carolina soon, where the girls will resume therapies and continue to grow.