Dicephalic parapagus twins complete hearts are present as well, which improves their chances of survival. The total number of arms may be two, three or four. Their prospects are best if no attempt is made to separate them, except in cases where one twin is clearly dying. Dicephalus means two-headed. Parapagus means joined side by side. Dicephalic twins are called: Conjoined twins appear in one in 50,000 to one in 100,000 births. Dicephalic twins represent about 11 percent of all conjoined twins. As late as the 1960s, some medical publications argued that newborn dicephalic twins should not be actively treated or resuscitated. An
Twins in mythology Twins in mythology Twins appear in the mythologies of many cultures around the world. In some they are seen as ominous and in others they are seen as auspicious. Twins in mythology are often cast as two halves of the same whole, sharing a bond deeper than that of ordinary siblings, or seen as fierce rivals. They can represent another aspect of the self, a doppelgänger, or a shadow. However, twins can also reflect a complete opposition of the other, such as the "civilized" Gilgamesh, and the "wild" Enkidu; or in the commonly known instance of good and evil twin