Harvey just born: one body but two little faces!
© Facebook @xAriel Contreras
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They wanted to call him Harveylike Harvey Dent, Batman’s famous two-faced foe.
But he is not a supervillain, he is very sweet, and above all he really exists: born a few weeks ago in Arkansas (USA), today we tell you its incredible story.
A very special newcomer
Il 19 August Ariel Contreras posts a video on her Facebook profile showing one of the newborn kittens from her cat.
But it is not a kitten like the others: it has two heads, two noses, and two mouths that “meow at the same time!” she says incredulous in the video.
Harvey’s condition is known as diprosopia: a very rare genetic malformation that develops during pregnancy and that involves in its carrier the presence of two faces and only one brain.
Even rarer are the cases of kittens that survive it: like Duo, another Janus cat of which we have told the story.
In fact, these kittens often die during delivery or shortly after. Harvey, on the other hand, will soon complete his first month.
Craniofacial duplication
Harvey is fine for the moment, but Ariel has to undergo numerous health checks, especially in this delicate phase of growth, to make sure that all his vital functions are taking place. without complications.
Craniofacial duplication often brings with it other health problems. But what causes it? It is a genetic anomaly due to an overproduction of a protein during pregnancy, the protein Sonic Hedgehog (SHH). This is fundamental in the development and formation of organs, especially the bones and the structure of the face.
We just have to wish good luck to this special Kitty!