Another set of North Dakota conjoined twins born

Article by: Maura Lerner , Star Tribune
Updated: August 12, 2006 - 12:16 AM

The girls were born Tuesday, almost nine months after the Carlsen twins. They are doing well, the hospital said.

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For the second time in less than a year, a set of conjoined twins has been born in Minneapolis, this time to a couple from Bismarck, N.D.

The girls, Abygail and Madysen Fitterer, were born Tuesday at the University of Minnesota Children's hospital. The identical twins are joined at the abdomen and are doing well, the hospital said in a brief statement.

The babies share a liver but have two "separate and well-functioning hearts," the statement said. "The babies are just as strong as other twins born at 36 weeks," said Dr. Robert Acton, an assistant professor of surgery. "Over the next few days, we will continue to monitor the babies and evaluate them for potential future separation."

Their parents, Suzy and Stacy Fitterer, also have a 2-year-old son.

"The girls are doing great," Stacy Fitterer told KFYR-TV in Bismarck on Thursday. "Every report we get, and every doctor and nurse that's seen them, said they're doing just great, and they're healthy."

The girls were born almost nine months after another set of conjoined twins, Abbigail and Isabelle Carlsen, from Fargo, N.D. The Carlsens, born in Minneapolis in November, were joined at the chest and abdomen until May, when they were surgically separated at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

Experts estimate that conjoined twins occur in about 1 in 50,000 to 100,000 births.

The Fitterers have posted photos of the newborns on their CaringBridge website and plan to post periodic updates. The website can be found at www.startribune.com/a1632.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Maura Lerner • 612-673-7384