With the invention of medical technology and the practice of performing sonograms on mothers as early as 5-6 weeks, doctors are noticing a new trend. Mothers will appear to be carrying twins but another sonogram done later in the pregnancy only finds one fetus. Doctors are now estimating that approximately 1 in every 8 pregnancies could have begun as a twin pregnancy.
Vanishing twin syndrome is when an early sonogram confirms the presence of two sacs and a subsequent sonogram confirms there is only one sac, or that the other twin has vanished. Generally, the result is a normal and healthy singleton pregnancy and birth.
So, where does the other twin go? The vanishing twin tissue is reabsorbed by either the mother, or the other baby thus giving the appearance of a vanishing twin. Some researchers have suggested that this may be why some women spot, bleed and cramp early in pregnancy and the go on to give birth to a full term healthy baby.
Surprisingly, vanishing twin syndrome is relatively common. Elizabeth Noble, author of “Having Multiples,” claims that 80% of twin pregnancies result in the loss of one or both babies. Other studies indicate that 30% of all twin pregnancies involve a vanishing twin. It is hard to get an exact figure because a vanishing twin is not always diagnosed as such.
Just as there are not generally identifiable causes to miscarriage, there is not specific causes to the spontaneous abortion of a vanishing twin. Often a miscarriage is due to placental or chromosomal abnormalities.
Physically, there are generally no problems in a mother or the surviving twin if the vanishing twin was lost in the first trimester. However, there can be issues for the surviving twin if the other twin was lost during the 2nd or 3rd trimester. Vanishing twin syndrome has been associated with higher rates of cerebral palsy. Also, if inviable fetus does not really vanish, parts of fetal tissue can be found in the mother, the placenta or the surviving fetus in the form of a tertoma.
Perhaps most peculiar of all in this phenomenon, is that sometimes the surviving twin has issues with relationships, loss, depression and anger; issues that are all commonly associated with the loss of someone close to us.
If you think you’re carrying twins, or have miscarried one twin, in all likelihood you are going to go on to have a healthy delivery of a singleton. Allow yourself the time to grieve the loss of the first twin but look ahead to the miracle of the birth of your baby coming.
Related Websites:
Vanishing Twin