NEW DELHI – A baby with two faces – two noses, two pairs of lips and two pairs of eyes – was born in a northern Indian village, where she is doing well and is being worshipped as the reincarnation of a Hindu goddess.
Hundreds of pilgrims have visited Lali, the 1-month-old baby, and her impoverished parents to touch her feet out of respect and receive blessings.
The baby has caused a sensation in the dusty village of Saini, 40 kilometers from New Delhi.
When she left the hospital, eight hours after a normal delivery, she was swarmed by villagers, Sabir Ali, the director of Saifi Hospital, said on Tuesday.
‘She drinks milk from her two mouths and opens and shuts all the four eyes at one time,’ Mr Ali said.
The child apparently has an extremely rare condition known as craniofacial duplication, where a single head has two faces.
All of Lali’s facial features are duplicated with the exception of her ears – she has two.
Lali’s condition is often linked to serious health complications, but the doctor said she was doing well.
‘She is leading a normal life with no breathing difficulties,’ said Mr Ali, adding that he saw no need for surgery.
Lali’s parents, Vinod and Sushma Singh, were married in February 2007, according to news reports. Lali is their first child.
‘Initially we had some problem in accepting the child but now everything is fine,’ Sushma Singh told The Hindustan Times.
‘She is just like any other child.’