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Medical Video: Vanishing Twin Syndrome
Of course it feels absurdly happy to know that you are pregnant with twins. But it turns out, the hammer is too early to formalize a twin pregnancy can turn detrimental. About 20-30 percent of pregnant women twins around the world experience vanishing twin syndrome, a pregnancy complication that makes one of the twins disappear without trace in the womb.
What is vanishing twin syndrome?
Vanishing twin syndrome is one of the complications of twin pregnancies, first discovered in 1945. And since the trend of early ultrasound examinations has become a routine prenatal check-up, the incidence of the "missing twins" phenomenon recorded in medical records has reportedly doubled.
The loss of one twin during pregnancy usually occurs in the first trimester, often before the mother even knows that she is pregnant with twins. Before your pregnancy reaches six weeks, your ultrasound scan will not show much activity in the womb. Scanning before the age of six weeks is still considered too early to detect embryos. It's too early to see the yolk sac, which provides the embryo's first nutrition, or the baby's heartbeat.
The new embryo can be seen after a gestational age of six weeks, and even then it is only 3 millimeters. On the other hand, early ultrasound scanning is the only way to ensure multiple pregnancies from the beginning of pregnancy.
Vanishing twin syndrome occurs when the initial ultrasound scan shows a twin pregnancy, but in the end only one baby was seen on the next ultrasound scan. Basically, vanishing twin syndrome is a miscarriage from one of the twins in the womb. The tissue of the dead fetus is then absorbed by its twin, the placenta, or absorbed again by the mother's body. This gives the impression that the baby disappears in the womb.
What causes twins to disappear from the womb?
In most cases, the cause of twin syndrome disappears is unknown. Perhaps, abnormalities in the fetus that are present early in the development period have a certain contribution in the disappearance of one twin, and not merely from sudden events.
Results of analysis of the placenta and / or fetal tissue often indicate the presence of chromosomal abnormalities in missing twins, while surviving twins are usually healthy. Improper umbilical cord implantation can also be a cause.
What are the signs and symptoms of vanishing twin syndrome?
Often, the phenomenon of missing twins does not show significant symptoms until the next ultrasound examination. But some women may show miscarriage symptoms (mild abdominal cramps, vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain), even though the USG results show one healthy baby in the womb.
Who is at risk of experiencing complications in conceiving these twins?
Researchers report there are more cases of twin syndrome disappearing in pregnant women over the age of 30 years. However, this might be because older mothers generally have higher twin pregnancy rates, especially with the use of fertility drugs.
How is vanishing twin syndrome detected by a doctor?
Before the use of ultrasound, a diagnosis of twin death is done through examination of the placenta after giving birth. With the availability of early ultrasound scanning, the presence of a pair of twins or more than one fetus can be detected during the first trimester. Advanced ultrasound can reveal "loss" of twins.
For example, you might undergo ultrasound at 6 or 7 weeks' gestation. The doctor finds two fetuses, and then tells you that you have twins. When you return for the next prenatal visit, only one heartbeat can be heard with Doppler. Once further ultrasound is performed, only one fetus appears on the scan.
Are there health risks for mothers and twins that have survived this complication?
If vanishing twin syndrome is detected in the first trimester, pregnancy can proceed as usual without any clinical symptoms that harm the mother or the baby who survived. There is no special medical treatment needed for mothers and survivors to treat infant syndrome disappearing in early pregnancy.
If the death of one fetus is found in the second or third trimester, pregnancy can be considered high risk. There is an increased risk for surviving fetuses, including higher rates of cerebral palsy.
When one twin dies after embryo formation (from the time of conception until the 10th week of pregnancy), amniotic fluid and placental tissue from the twin can be absorbed again, both by the placenta, the mother's body, and the living twin. This resulted in the bodies of the twin deceased becoming flattened due to the great pressure from the surviving twin.
During childbirth, a deceased fetus can be identified as a fetal compressor (quite flat but can still be seen with the naked eye) or as a papyraceous fetus (the condition of the body is as thin as paper due to fluid loss and most soft tissue).
Whatever the reason, pregnant women twins must immediately seek medical help if they experience bleeding, cramps, and pelvic pain. Ultrasound can be used to determine that the missing fetus is completely gone before deciding whether a miscarriage can be cured.
