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How one twin "ate" the other in the womb, as a result of which he was born much larger. Sometimes in the mother's womb, one twin develops inside the other When one twin kills the other

Today on the site for mothers, the site, we will tell you about the mysterious phenomenon that occurs during multiple pregnancies - the disappeared twin.

Thanks to the introduction of ultrasound diagnostics, scientists have learned that it is a more frequent phenomenon than previously thought.

Medical statistics are striking, but one in eight people while still in the womb had at least one. But now the first trimester of pregnancy ends, and one of the twins mysteriously disappears somewhere, and after giving birth, one child of two or even three is born. How can this phenomenon be explained?

The site will try to answer this question.

What is the disappeared twin phenomenon?

This anomaly was first described back in 1945 and is defined as a fairly rare syndrome. It is observed in multiple pregnancies, when one or more embryos disappear at different times. Further pregnancy develops as singleton and in most cases proceeds without complications.

The syndrome can be fixed using ultrasound.

But why does nature, giving rise to two lives, give birth to only one?

According to some scientists, a vanishing twin is a purposeful way to ensure the normal course of pregnancy, the result of which is the birth of a more viable and healthy baby. Perhaps the organism of the expectant mother rejects in advance an embryo with not very successful genetic information.

The proof of this theory is the fact that in the overwhelming majority of cases the analysis of tissues of the placenta and tissues of the embryo shows that the disappeared fetus had genetic abnormalities. While the second baby was born completely healthy.

Definition of disappeared twin syndrome

Previously, timely detection of the death of one of the embryos during multiple pregnancies was problematic. But modern medicine is capable of diagnosing the presence of triplets or triplets at the earliest possible time using ultrasound, as well as “notice” in time if one of the twins has disappeared.

For example, a pregnant woman undergoes an ultrasound scan at 6 or 7 weeks of gestation, and the presence of two or more embryos is determined in the uterus. The doctor records the pregnancy as multiple. The next time, during Doppler sonography, the heartbeat of one of the fetuses is not detected, and the ultrasound clearly shows that one living fetus is developing in the uterus.

This syndrome, as statistics show in the course of long-term observations, occurs approximately in a third of the total number of multiple pregnancies and usually occurs before the end of the first trimester.

Signs of a vanishing twin

Most often, the fetus is completely absorbed by its twin or the body of its mother. In the second case, embryonic tissues are attached to the surface of the placenta and in the future can develop into a cyst or other types of neoplasms. Sometimes the body of the embryo is completely mummified.

The disappeared twin syndrome can develop not only at the very beginning of pregnancy, but also in the second and even third trimesters. The outcome of childbirth, the health of the second twin and the mother herself largely depend on the time of development of the anomaly.

The early syndrome does not require medical intervention and does not pose a threat to the health of the second of the twins.

Late disappearance of the twin can lead to the development of cerebral palsy in the child, developmental delay, scoliosis. And my mother is threatened with the development of infection, premature birth, and blood clotting disorders.

If the fetus did not dissolve in the placental fluid or was not absorbed by the tissues of the second twin, doctors should carefully monitor the condition of the pregnant woman. In this case, the risk of premature delivery or death of a healthy baby due to placental abruption is quite high.

Symptoms of a Vanishing Twin

The death of one of the twins is most often diagnosed at 7-8 weeks of pregnancy. A woman may not notice any obvious changes, because the embryonic sac of a terminated fetus completely merges with the membranes of a living twin or attaches to the wall of the placenta.

With multiple pregnancies, you should pay attention to the following symptoms, which may indicate one of the twins:

  1. Cramping pains in the lower abdomen.
  2. Convulsions.
  3. Discharge from the genital tract. Some women have discharge that smears, others note discharge as during a meager period.

In the event that the bloody discharge does not stop for a long time, a woman, suspecting a miscarriage, seeks help from a doctor. And if she really was pregnant with twins or triplets, then the only reliable way to identify a vanishing twin in multiple pregnancies is by ultrasound. In this case, the apparatus does not record the heartbeat of the second fetus, there is no clear contour of the ovum and the detachment of the placenta is observed.

A missing twin is the fact of a pregnant woman losing one of her future babies, and not at all a mistake by doctors or ultrasound. In most cases, this phenomenon passes unnoticed, without harm to the health of the mother and the second twin.

Pregnancy is a responsible and important period in a woman's life. The body undergoes a number of transformations during gestation. The formation of twins puts a special strain on the fair sex. With singleton pregnancies, the risk of complications is lower, since there is no likelihood of conflict between children. One of the dangerous diseases that form at different stages of gestation is fetal fetal syndrome. It is characterized by the occurrence of placental vascular anomalies and fetal growth disorders. One of the children becomes a “donor” and the other becomes a “recipient”. Moreover, during the formation of pathological connections - anastomoses - both fetuses suffer. Anomalies in the development of vital systems occur, since the normal nutrition and blood supply of the growing organism is disrupted. In the initial periods of formation, one of the twins may disappear, "giving way" to the stronger one.

The only method to combat placental transfusion syndrome is to carry out a specific surgical intervention aimed at restoring physiological hemodynamics. The decisive role in the outcome of the disease is played by the timeliness of the measures taken, as well as the degree of development of pathological changes.

Causes

During the period of childbearing, a specialized organ is formed - the placenta. It provides nutrition and oxygen supply to the fruit. With the development of monochorionic or identical twins, babies have a common blood flow. One placenta is formed, from which the cords extend to each child. If there are no pathologies, then the child's seat is divided into two peculiar halves, each of which provides nutrition for one of the fetuses. With fetal-fetal transfusion syndrome, anastomoses - specific blood vessels - are formed. They connect parts of the placenta, which contributes to the disruption of the normal nutrition of the twins. The umbilical cords also undergo various pathological transformations.

Thus, fetal-fetal syndrome is a violation of the formation of a child's place in multiple pregnancies. Hemodynamic disorders are the result of an abnormality in the development of blood vessels. If such transformations are formed at an early stage, fetuses are aborted or disappear spontaneously. The later the development of the anastomoses occurred, the higher the survival rate of the twins. Moreover, in the overwhelming majority of cases, children are born with disabilities or deformities.

The exact cause of these anomalies is unknown.

Classification and characteristic symptoms

It is customary to distinguish several degrees of severity of fetal-fetal syndrome with twins. They are differentiated by the severity of hemodynamic disorders and pathology of the development of internal organs. The classification is as follows:

  1. The first stage is characterized by a change in the amount of amniotic fluid in the fetus. The "donor" suffers from lack of water. This is dangerous due to the underdevelopment of vital systems and further mummification. The "recipient" has the opposite changes. This fruit suffers from polyhydramnios, which also negatively affects the process of laying and developing internal organs. When conducting an ultrasound scan, signs of such changes are recorded already at the 11th - 15th week.
  2. At the second stage, violations are even more pronounced. The donor fetus has no full bladder. The child itself is much smaller and may have developmental defects. The recipient is much larger, the difference is up to 20% of the body weight. His bladder is full, swelling and deformities can come to light.
  3. At the third stage, using ultrasound, pathologies of the development of the cardiovascular system of both fetuses are diagnosed. This is due to severe stress and hemodynamic disturbances. The valve apparatus is significantly deformed, which further aggravates the clinical manifestations of the syndrome.
  4. The last stage is accompanied by the death of one of the twins or both at once. It ends in miscarriage or premature birth.

The syndrome of placental transfusion in some cases remains unattended, since in the early stages it does not manifest itself in any way. It is possible to diagnose an ailment only during ultrasound screening, which allows you to make a kind of photo of the fetus and assess the physiology of blood flow. In women, uterine hypertonicity is also detected. The main sign of fetal death is the cessation of their movements or the fading of pregnancy.


Risk of complications

The consequences of blood supply abnormalities can be fatal. In the absence of treatment, the death of babies reaches 90% with the late formation of pathologies. The disappeared twin syndrome is a variant of the mildest manifestations of the disease, when only one of the children continues to develop. The existing surgical techniques help to increase the survival rate. However, even with the appropriate equipment and an experienced surgeon, there is a high risk of having a child with psychological and developmental abnormalities. Timely identification of the problem and its early elimination is of great predictive value.

Diagnostics

The basis for confirmation of fetal-fetal syndrome is to conduct a study using ultrasound. If, during screening, a monochorionic multiple pregnancy is detected in a woman, she is included in the risk group for the development of pathology. Constant monitoring of the condition of the twins is required, since anastomoses can form at any gestational age. Ultrasound is most informative starting from the second trimester. With its help, the structure of the fruit is assessed, as well as measurements. A Doppler study registers serious hemodynamic disorders, but it is not always possible to identify them. Echocardiography is helpful in late pregnancy. It allows you to confirm the presence of cardiomegaly and heart failure in the recipient.

According to statistics, fetal-fetal syndrome complicates about 8-10% of cases of multiple monochorionic pregnancies. Incidents of the development of the disease remain unreported due to spontaneous abortion. To confirm the diagnosis, two criteria play an important role: the presence of a common chorion in twins, as well as oligohydramnios in one sac, in which a maximum vertical pocket less than 2 cm in size is revealed, and polyhydramnios, when the cavity reaches 8 cm, in the other. A special system has been developed, which is a specific scale for standardizing changes during the development of placental transfusion.

Ultrasound screening is required for all women who have a monochorionic pregnancy. It is recommended to visit a doctor from a period of 16 weeks, undergoing examination every 14 days. Such tactics will make it possible to timely identify and begin treatment of possible pathology of fetal formation. Echocardiography is also recommended to monitor the development of the cardiovascular system in children. Expectant tactics without surgery is justified only at the first stage of fetal fetal syndrome, when the twin survival rate reaches 86%. In other cases, coagulation of pathological anastomoses is required.


Necessary treatment

Conservative methods in the fight against fetal-fetal syndrome are ineffective. If there is an abnormality in the blood supply, the fetus may die or disappear at any time during pregnancy. When pathology is detected, an operation is required. Several techniques are effective:

  1. Serial amnio drainage involves pumping water out of the uterine cavity. This provides a decrease in the burden on the recipient, but does not in any way affect the survival of the donor fetus. However, this technique is not the most effective. With the intervention, the mortality rate of twins reaches 60%, and even with physiological childbirth, the child is at risk of developing cerebral palsy.
  2. Septostomy is an outdated technique that involves damaging the internal septum between twins. This evens out the pressure of the amniotic fluid, but makes it difficult to further monitor the progression of fetal fetal syndrome.
  3. Coagulation of the umbilical cord involves the cessation of feeding one fetus in favor of a more developed one. Such an operation is justified only in the early stages of pregnancy, until serious complications have formed. The method is associated with a low risk of developing neurological consequences in the postpartum period.
  4. The most effective technique for surgical treatment of placental transfusion syndrome is fetoscopic coagulation of anastomoses. The operation is performed using endoscopic equipment. The method involves the introduction of a special device into the uterine cavity, which allows minimally invasively getting rid of pathological vascular connections. Such coagulation preserves both fetuses, is associated with the lowest risk of complications and has good reviews, since it is easily tolerated by pregnant women. The intervention requires modern equipment of the clinic and the experience of performing operations at the surgeon.

Drugs for correcting microcirculation and antiplatelet agents can be used as an adjunct to surgical treatment. With the postponement of the operation and spontaneous resolution of the pathology, twin embolization syndrome is likely.

Forecast

The outcome of the disease is determined by the timeliness of identifying the problem. Surgical techniques are recommended as they increase the survival rate of both fetuses at different stages of pregnancy. Feto-fetal syndrome is associated with a cautious prognosis, since even with the fight against intrauterine hemodynamic disorders, there is a risk of complications in the postpartum period. Prevention of the disease has not been developed, since the exact reasons for the formation of the problem are unknown.

In my therapeutic practice, I have repeatedly come across a tremendous sense of guilt of a living child towards unborn brothers and sisters. The reasons could be very different: abortions, miscarriages, missed pregnancies, ectopic pregnancies of the mother. So, in the course of my work on the topic "Personal efficiency and restoration of cash flow" in 28 cases out of 113 it was revealed that the symptom of "pathological modesty" (not allowing oneself the right to success and wealth) is associated with the unborn children of the parents.

Sometimes it turned out that in cases of especially strong feelings of guilt, the "substitute for the cause of the symptom" goes along the timeline in the perinatal period of the client's life, and the constellation tests confirm the presence of the "disappeared twin." The timing of the injury of the loss of a twin is from several hours to several months, but most often 5-8 weeks from the moment of conception.

This phenomenon is known to physicians as “ The disappeared twin phenomenon". Dr. Charles Bocklage, in his work "Multiple Pregnancy: Epidemiology, Pregnancy and Prenatal Period," analyzed reports of 326 twin pregnancies and found that 61 of them resulted in healthy twins, 125 single births, and the remaining 186 were completely lost. "At least 10-15% of us live thinking that they are single-born, when in reality they are only half," writes Bocluj.

In fact, the loss of a twin during fetal development is the very first and very serious trauma that a born twin experiences. This injury manifests itself in a variety of symptoms:

- Search for "brother in mind", "close person", "imaginary friend" as a substitute for the disappeared twin. In my opinion, the tale "Kid and Carlson" is a very good illustration of this phenomenon. Children play with mirrors - this can also be a manifestation of the search for your soul mate.

- Periodic feeling of longing, emptiness, loneliness, loss(as if something very important is lost forever). It can be assumed that the numerous ardent love, inaccessibility or tragic parting with the object of their love of famous poets, captured in imperishable poems, is an eternal desire to find a brother or sister and "materialize" them at least on paper.

- Unreasonable sense of responsibility for something, feelings of guilt, including a passionate desire to help the weak and defenseless. According to my observations, it is especially typical for psychologists, teachers and representatives of other “helping professions”. Asking children to buy a puppy, hamster or parrot and a tender attitude towards them is also a kind of compensation for feelings of guilt towards a brother or twin sister.

- Sudden attacks of panic, impotence, fear... The facets of this situation can be the perception of the mother as an aggressive and dangerous creature, excessive passivity of the child, difficulties in separation from parents and self-identification. For example, if the deceased twin is also a boy, the survivor may not accept his masculinity. The logic of the surviving child is as follows: “Mom, you killed one boy. I'd rather not be a boy, just don't kill me. " Thus, the causes of the trauma of the interrupted movement of love for the mother may lie in the perinatal period.

- Sexual difficulties... Cases of bisexuality and homosexuality, with which I have worked, speak of the desire to connect with a twin, to reproduce the experience of "the bliss of being together" that was during the period of intrauterine development. If partnerships are in the nature of brother-sister interactions (when “ sex does not really matter, and the feeling of happiness from the fact that just sitting next to it is prohibitive") - this often also means looking for a twin. Along with these phenomena are "romantic relationships by correspondence on the Internet", periodic meetings and partings (inaccessibility of the object of love), or cases of writing poetry on behalf of a person of the opposite sex.

Bert Hellinger's book contains a poignant description of the loss of a twin. This is how it goes.

“The youngest of my children was an identical twin, whose twin brother died during the sixth month of pregnancy.

My husband and I, looking at the ultrasound image, saw the heartbeat of one of the twins getting weaker and weaker. The second twin (who was born and alive now) hugged his brother and held him until he died. Then he moved to the other side. After that, it was very quiet for a long time, the child barely moved. We saw that he was alive and well, but he did not move for months and did not grow, so we did not believe that the child would be born healthy, because he weighed very little. The pregnancy lasted four weeks longer than the calculated period, in the last weeks the child gained weight until he reached normal weight. The surviving child never disturbed the space that his brother occupied before his death. My belly was simply pushed to one side because the baby did not disturb the space that his brother used to occupy. "

Test hypothesis The presence of a twin loss trauma can be done using a simple constellation technique. Two surrogates are placed on the timeline: the “Client's alternate at the time of conception” and the “Client's alternate at the time of conception”. If the twin's substitute does not immediately leave the line-up field, it means that he was.

Description of the session with Vanessa

Here's a fairly typical case of working with one client. Let's call her Vanessa.

A woman's personal life does not work out the way she would like. I met the last partner on the Internet and maintains a very "strange" relationship with him. She from time to time - about 1 time in 2 months - comes to him in another city. This always happens only on her initiative. As soon as she enters his apartment, she falls into an altered state of consciousness. They can just talk. Or just lie hugging. Or sleep for two days without getting out of bed. Vanessa really likes the fact that when she is with her beloved, she can completely relax, turn off her brain and not think about anything. Sometimes in these relationships it comes to sex. And sex is fine. Both she and him are good at this while they are around.

As soon as Vanessa is at the station, her brain "returns", which insistently demands to look at the situation more rationally and make a decision: to demand from her beloved creation of a family, or to disperse and look for another person.

But as soon as after a while she again crosses the threshold of his apartment, again a sweet trance of relaxation and a complete reluctance to force the situation. And this is repeated every time.

Placement target the client formulated it as follows: I want to create such conditions for partnership, where there would be initiative, care and the manifestation of signs of attention on the part of a man, with the prospect of creating a family and having children.

Initial hypothesis therapist was next. Both partners have weaves or biographical injuries that create a unique pattern. This provokes and makes necessary exactly the kind of relationship that they have now. In the case of successful development of interweaving and trauma, it is possible to change the relationship of partners for the better or to end it in favor of a relationship with a new partner.

First test revealed that instead of a goal, Vanessa is looking at unborn brothers and sisters. The history of her family confirmed the hypothesis: her mother really had many miscarriages. And to work out this cause of the problem, the methods of classical family constellation were applied.

Second test showed a significant improvement in the condition of Vanessa's deputy. He stood straighter and more stable, his shoulders spread wider. But he still did not look at the target, he still turned towards the unborn brothers and sisters. In addition, a new and very vivid bodily sensation was added: as if all the energy of the body had flowed to the skin, evenly throughout the body, starting from the lower back upwards. But this was not a bursting out from the inside to the outside. And as if all the skin is riddled with needles or a burning sensation from mustard plasters.

Was done hypothesis that this is a situation of parting with a twin brother, whose development died out very early. This hypothesis was confirmed in testing. The moment of conception was experienced by both deputies as a joyous holiday.

1 week of development: the key emphasis in the sensations and movements of the substitutes is swaying ("like an alga in the waves").

Development week 2: the key emphasis is attention to each other, mutual warmth and desire for bodily contact.

Development week 3: key accent - Vanessa's deputy is in tears, her brother's deputy indifferently steps aside.

4th week of development: the key accent is a lot of tears from the deputy Vanessa.

The next stage of intrauterine development is gradually getting used to the situation. At the time of delivery and immediately after, Vanessa's deputy felt normal, cheerful.

To work out the trauma of the perinatal period of the problem, integrative methods were used that combine the techniques of constellation, procedural, body-oriented work and NLP.

In conclusion, I would like to emphasize once again. It is very likely that the close bond that develops between twins during a short period of their coexistence, and the trauma at the time of the disappearance of one of them, is a very common phenomenon and a very serious test for humans. Subsequently, this can affect all areas of a person's life. This is aggravated by the difficulty of diagnosing the nature of pregnancy in the early stages.

Working through this traumatic situation in any method of psychotherapy gives a person a huge resource for a happy, successful, healthy and rich life.

Clients after such placements say:

- “It was as if a stone fell from my soul. Brand new condition! It differs from what was before, like heaven and earth! "

- “Life has become easier, life has become more fun! The heart no longer aches. There is no eternal lump in the throat. "

- “Shoulders straightened! Straightened up! The load does not press! "

- “Out of a certain trance! I looked around: life is good and life is good! "

- "It is something! It's just a sea of ​​love and unearthly bliss! How grateful I am to my twin for such vivid sensations! "

Visit us at the OLVIA Family Counseling Center. Participate in systemic constellations, work through your injuries and systemic entanglements. Take a huge resource from the situation with the disappeared twin! End mourning and just enjoy life.

Make your life healthy, happy, successful! And systemic constellations will help you!

The disappeared twin syndrome raises many questions not only among expectant mothers who have encountered it, but also among the doctors themselves.

What is Vanished Twin Syndrome?

Modern equipment allows you to detect pregnancy using ultrasound at the earliest possible date - at 7-8 weeks. And now the doctor tells you that you have twins. As soon as you get used to this thought, at the next scheduled examination, the doctor discovers already one baby. At the same time, there was no miscarriage or other signs indicating the loss of the child.

This is called the “disappeared twin” syndrome, when two fetuses were initially formed, but after a while one of them simply disappeared.

This usually occurs at the earliest possible date, when the fetus does not even resemble a person, but rather is a collection of dividing embryonic cells.

There is an opinion that one of the twins turns out to be unviable, for example, with genetic abnormalities, and because of its deliberate unviability, it is simply absorbed by the membranes of another baby or by the mother's body.

What are the reasons for this phenomenon

There is no unequivocal opinion why nature first gives a woman hope for two babies, and then almost immediately deprives one of them of the opportunity to be born.

It is considered to be a kind of natural selection, when the organism of the expectant mother immediately determines that the child has deviations, genetic failures and is not viable, therefore his development stops and he “disappears” altogether.

Signs and symptoms

Usually the woman herself does not feel any signs that one of the embryos has ceased to exist. Since the fetus is completely absorbed by another child or joins the placenta.

At a later date, this will already be called fetal fading, which may be accompanied by abdominal pain and bleeding. In this case, see a doctor immediately.

Diagnostics of the "disappeared twin"

Diagnosis of the "disappearance" of the fetus can be done using ultrasound. During the examination, the doctor does not find any signs of the presence of a second embryo. In this case, placental abruption may occur.

Consequences of disappeared twin syndrome

If you encounter this phenomenon in the early stages, it does not threaten any consequences for the second baby: usually the fetus that remains will develop successfully throughout pregnancy and is born healthy.

Sometimes a cyst may form in the place of attachment of the "disappeared" twin.

In the event that the second twin “disappeared” at a later date, there are threats of the development of cerebral palsy, scoliosis, and developmental problems in another baby. The expectant mother is at risk of infection and premature birth.

But more often than not, there are no such consequences, and the pregnancy proceeds normally, but with one baby.

What are the statistics of this phenomenon

The phenomenon of the "disappeared twin" was discovered back in 1945, and then it was believed that this happens extremely rarely. The fact is that in those days, pregnancy could not be detected as early as now, so they simply did not have time to notice the second twin until his "disappearance".
Now the statistics are striking: almost 75% of cases when a woman is diagnosed with multiple pregnancies end in the "disappearance of the twin." It is believed that approximately every eighth person had such a "twin" in the womb.

The disappeared twin phenomenon

Medical statistics:
In one case out of 8 people begin their life in the womb as a twin!
75% of women confirmed to have twin pregnancies give birth to only one child.

Signs of a missing twin:

  • Bleeding during pregnancy
  • Left-handedness
  • "Extra" fingers or toes
  • Cerebral palsy (cerebral palsy)
  • "Imaginary friend"
  • Feeling like a part of you is lost and / or loneliness
  • Unreasonable sense of responsibility and / or guilt
  • Digestive disorders
  • Adoration of mirrors
  • Returning dreams about a twin or "loved one".
  • Difficulty comprehending sexual identity

Do you ever feel like you once had a twin?
Here's what Mandy emailed us:

Hey!

My name is Mandy and ... I'm 11 years old. Several years ago I told my mother that I have a twin sister and that I want to know where she is now. It was a joke, but there was also a little seriousness in it. Mom looked at me and said, "Yes, you had a twin sister ... in my belly. But she died." I was shocked because she never told me about it ... It turned out that when my mother gave birth, there were 2 placentas and I was the only one.

I didn't say much about my twin (Lexi. I call her that because my mom was going to call my brother that if he was a girl and wanted to call me that too). Once I told my brother (who is also a twin) about everything. And he called me "baby eater" and said that I ate her ... That's why I want to know more about Lexi.

About genius ... I passed an IQ test on the Internet and I have 178 ... I'm sure I'm a genius ...
I am lonely in spite of my many friends.

That's all I can say.

Mandy

It is known in the medical literature as the Disappeared Twin Phenomenon (FIB) or Syndrome. FIB has been widely covered in one medical book, Multiple Pregnancy: Epidemiology, Pregnancy and Prenatal Period. With the assistance of over 80 scientists from around the world, this book has become a complete and comprehensive study of twins. In it, Dr. Charles Bocklage states: “In reality ... the loss of one or both twins in twin pregnancies is too common to be phenomenal and can be for too many reasons to call it a syndrome ... alive, is not important enough to carry out comprehensive and fundamental research. " With the increasing use of fertility drugs and ecoronary fertilization, and with more women choosing to start a family at a later age, the number of multiple pregnancies has skyrocketed.

From the work of Dr. Thomas Verney, Dr. David Chamberlain and others, we now know that the fetus has consciousness and memory. Dr. Verney says in The Secret Life of the Unborn Child: “Birth and life before it forms the basis of human personality. friends. Everything affects us during these 2 critical periods. "

My preliminary survey of over 200 "twin-free twins" found that losing a twin in utero can have profound physical, mental and emotional consequences for the surviving child and his parents, especially if this fact was not known to the child. Unfortunately, I have found very few cases in which doctors of health centers would discuss possible problems of this kind with the parents-to-be. A surviving twin may never know about his loss, which can result in a myriad of psychological problems, without the possibility of solving them. Parents often leave the child alone with incomprehensible feelings of embarrassment, loss and / or sadness.

History

As early as 1945, Obstetrics Press mentioned the possibility that many more twins are conceived than are born, but FIB got its name in 1980 at the "Third International Congress on Twin Research" held in Jerusalem. This topic was brought up, and one of the congress participants shouted: "The disappeared twins!" In 1995, Lawrence Wright published a lengthy article titled "Double Mystery" in The New Yorker, which brought the FIB to public comment. Multiple Pregnancy: Epidemiology, Progression of Pregnancy and Prenatal Period (1995) is the first medical publication that I found through a deep search on FIB.

Statistics

Dr. Charles Bocladge studied reports of 326 twin pregnancies and found that 61 of them resulted in twins, 125 in single children, and the remaining 186 were total loss. This is the degree of risk for twin pregnancies. "Between 10 and 15% of us - at the lowest estimate - live thinking that we are single-born when in reality they are only half," writes Blolage. He estimates that for every birth of twins, there are at least 6 single births who were born alone, although they were conceived by twins. With improved ultrasound technology and early detection of pregnancy, we can see and document this phenomenon, which can happen anywhere.

Suffering twins

Elizabeth Nobel says: “... unlike cases of guilt in survivors in an accident, intrauterine loss of a twin is not perceived by consciousness and, therefore, is not available for discussion, treatment and rehabilitation without the help of specialists ... Twins, from whom information about death the other twin has been hidden, or those who cannot express their feelings are most affected by the loss. "

Parents

Parents of FIB survivors may experience feelings of insecurity and grievous loss if the nature of FIB has not been thoroughly explained to them. This sadness from the loss of a child appears under any circumstance. Unfortunately, busy doctors and our society's attitude towards death often result in both parent and child being left in the dark.

What are the physical signs of a "missing twin" for a mother? "Seizures, bleeding, and / or a drop in hormone levels in the blood during the first trimester," the doctors say. And also if there were twins in the history of the family and / or if the woman has already given birth to twins.

Medical opinion

The popular opinion of doctors is that the fetus is "absorbed" because of the surviving twin or mother. Sometimes the remains of a twin are found in the placenta or, more rarely, in a teratoma tumor (teratoma - embryonic tissue), which may contain hair, bones, teeth or other teratoma tissue. This tumor can be inside or outside of the surviving twin or mother. According to the lead obstetrician I interviewed, "the 'resorption' explanation can only be valid up to the 2nd trimester and does not explain cases where the fetus disappeared as early as 7 months.

High risk

Any twins (two or more) are at greater risk of physical, neurological and intellectual problems than single births. I will name just a few of them: various defects of the heart, digestive and central nervous systems, improper location of the kidneys and other organs, immune problems, clubfoot, extra fingers or toes. Research has now confirmed the previously suggested link between cerebral palsy and the developmental process of twins. Gemini are also more likely to be left-handed than singles. Fraternal twins are prone to marital conflict. All of this is an important reason why a surviving twin should find out that he or she was a twin.

Chimera

Chimera is a curious developmental phenomenon in twins in which an individual develops from more than one fertilized egg. According to Lawrence Wright's Double Mystery article: “I'll quote Charles Bocladge (talking about the chimera) ... and although this is rarely found, it is not so unusual in itself. Bocladge says:“ Perhaps some of us are twins who live in the same body. "And sometimes 2 different blood types are found in blood donors: and this implies that fraternal twins in this case have united in the uterus. Of course, there is no way to determine whether identical twins are united, since they have the same genes and blood groups. In these cases, the twins do not disappear, they merge. "

After the presentation, a woman came up to me and said: "Now I know what is happening with my husband. That explains everything!" She told me that sometimes her husband is "different, different." It looks the same, but something is wrong about it. She always felt it when they made love. Once she asked him if he was really her husband, and he said loudly and colorlessly: "We will not talk about this anymore!" It frightened her so much that she did not ask him again. She told me: "They are changing in him. Now I know for sure." He was supposed to be a twin, his mother said so.

Ethical issues

The vastly increased number of fertility treatments gives us doctors and potential parents with new moral and ethical challenges. Since an infertile couple spends between $ 1,500 and $ 6,000 per attempt, there is a tendency among doctors to implant many fertilized eggs, often resulting in multiple children. Because of the greater risk of multiple pregnancies, doctors sometimes resort to a procedure known as Multiple Pregnancy Reduction (MPP) to increase the likelihood of having at least one healthy baby. This, of course, puts parents in a difficult position, forcing them to decide whether to abort one or more new lives that have struggled (and paid dearly) to start their lives. UMB can endanger an entire pregnancy (although the risk diminishes with practice). In any case, the surviving child (or children) may experience the same psychological problems as the one who lost the twin during life. The trauma of a miscarriage itself can create devastating psychological problems, as can an attempted abortion in which only one of the twins is unintentionally aborted.

Between the early 1940s and 1971, 5 to 10 million women, usually with vaginal bleeding, were prescribed medication to prevent miscarriage. It was called Diettilstilbestrol (DES). Bleeding during pregnancy is known to be a symptom of FIB when there are no signs at all. It is also known that the number of twins increases after a period of sexual abstinence. The aftermath is the "baby boom" of World War II, just after such a period. I suspect that in many women who have been given DES, bleeding was a symptom of FIB.

Sonogram machines

Several doctors at a conference I attended in 1996 expressed their dissatisfaction with situations that happen too often: in the early stages, a woman does a sonogram. The doctor doing it or the attending physician determines 2 fetuses. However, later one of them "disappears". During the examination, a busy doctor may tell the mother that the one who took the sonogram was mistaken - due to a malfunction of the apparatus - or simply gets off with a remark like "This happens all the time. Be glad that you have only one!" The potential psychological problems are countless.

Dr. Scott Walker (twinless twin) developed a process for linking psychological kinesiology with the spinal cord called Neuro-Emotional Technique (NET), which he has taught thousands of professionals. Dr. Walker includes FIB in your training, and during the NET process, many people discovered they were twins. I contacted many of these people, as well as specialists, and learned that the desire for clearer and more accessible information about FIB is very widespread.

Psychic connection

According to Dr. Segal's book Intertwined Lives, "There is no evidence that the similarity of twins is the reason for the special bond between them." Perhaps this is because it is difficult to obtain grants for such research, or because research attitudes somewhat disrupt this process. In any case, there are a huge number of anecdotes that confirm this connection. The Jimi Twins are identical. They were separated at birth, raised separately and became a sensation when they found each other. Both were named "Jim", both were married to women named Linda who were divorced, and the second time they were married to women named Betty. One of the first sons was named James Allan, both had dogs named Toy, both at one time worked as sheriff's representatives, as well as at McDonald's and at gas stations. Both vacationed on the beach in St. Petersburg, Florida and drove a Chevrolet. Both gnawed their nails and drank Miller Lite Beer. Both set up white benches near a tree in their gardens. They are ordinary, but there are amazing parallels in their separate lives. You can attend the Twinless Twin conference and hear attendees talk about how they learned that their twin died, their shared pain, and their interactions with him after death - while learning that there is something unique about it all - and not a coincidence! This is a twins bond, and it doesn't end with the death of one of them.

Personal experience

I started my research on FIB in 1993 when I learned that I was a surviving twin. A pair of non-identical twins were probably triplets at first. And my younger brother was also the surviving "mirror" identical twin. I also have a cousin who is also a "mirror" identical twin (her twin disappeared), and her organs are on the opposite side of the body, when compared with an ordinary person. Since 1993, I have traveled extensively, conducted research and lectured on FIB to hundreds of people. I have heard many charming and heartbreaking stories. My site is made up of e-mails from surviving twins from all over the world, and it went online in 1997. Many of my TV and radio appearances were just as attracted to emails from Twinless Twins and their caregivers, as well as the professionals in the field of health and education.

In 1997, I, with my partner Parker Whitman, published the book Millennium Children: Tales of Change. Most of this book deals with FIB. There is also a story of my life (about how I learned about my twin Karil) and a lot of material about how the number of children born with exceptional intuitive, intellectual and physical abilities is increasing. Children who talk about “their past lives,” “spirits,” “imaginary friends,” and telepathic contacts. A lot of information in Millennium Children has been collected in the course of my research on FIB, and it has also been supplemented by correspondence from twinless twins.

Summary

Technical and medical information is now available about the FIB, but there is little information about the psychological impact, and it is scattered across various publications. Dr. Nancy Segal, one of the earliest researchers on twins, says in her book Intertwined Lives: Gemini and What They Tell Us About Human Relationships: “No one has systematically studied the psychological effects of losing a twin before birth or in infancy ... ". FIB survivors and their parents need such information, as well as professionals who must disseminate this information. I hope my new project will help them.