Conjoined Twins Abby and Erin Delaney: A Year in the Life

On June 6, 2017, surgeons at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia successfully separated 10-month-old conjoined twins Erin and Abby. Parents Heather and Riley Delaney, from North Carolina, first learned that Heather was carrying conjoined twins about 11 weeks into her pregnancy. Abby and Erin Delaney were born in CHOP’s Garbose Family Special Delivery Unit on July 24, 2016, after being closely monitored by the Hospital’s Center for Fetal Diagnosis & Treatment. The Delaney twins were connected at the top of their heads, a condition called craniopagus, the least common type of conjoined twins. The girls were the 23rd pair of conjoined twins separated at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), the first craniopagus pair. Surgery to separate conjoined twins involves many steps. Over their first 10 months, the girls underwent a series of surgeries, including the placement of expanders to stretch their skin. The separation of conjoined twins is a