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New York City, NY  (August 17, 2004) – Formerly conjoined Filipino twins Carl and Clarence Aguirre are up to their old tricks, say doctors at The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore (CHAM).  The boys, who were successfully separated in a 17-hour operation at CHAM on August 4, had been joined at the tops of their heads.

“Clarence is trying to climb out of bed once again,” said Robert Marion, MD, his lead pediatrician at CHAM.  “The challenge now is that brother Carl is not attached and it’s much easier for Clarence to do the climbing.”  According to Dr. Marion, the specialized pediatric nursing team is thinking about placing Clarence in a crib to help keep him where he belongs.

Carl, on the other hand, isn’t trying to climb out of his bed.  “We've noticed he's now been sleeping on his side, instead of on his back,” Dr. Marion said.  “Obviously, he’s never been able to do that before, and he seems to enjoy it.”

“He is, however, beginning to throw toys again,” said Dr. Marion.  “I gave him a small wooden puppet which he took and then promptly threw his stuffed toys out of bed onto the floor.  That's Carl!”

Clarence is also playing with his favorite toys again.  According to the nursing team, he keeps time to music on the television with a rattle and jingle bells set.  "He has a favorite pastime of attaching one end of a Slinky toy to his left foot and stretching it with is right hand.  “He never seems to get tired of that game,” said Dr. Marion.

Because the boys have become so active they’ve been moved to separate, but adjoining rooms to make it easier for nurses to care for them.  "It's also to help prevent any cross infection that might take place,” said David Staffenberg, MD, chief of pediatric plastic surgery at CHAM and one of the boys’ two lead surgeons.  “Carl has had a minor urinary tract infection, and we don’t want to chance it spreading to Clarence," said Dr. Staffenberg.  "Carl’s infection is being treated with antibiotics."

While separate rooms are easier on the nursing staff caring for the twins, it’s harder on their mother, Arlene.  She now has to constantly shuttle between rooms since both boys want her undivided attention.