Vanishing Twin Blog

By  David Wallace-Wells It is not only possible, it has in fact happened that a woman who vaginally conceived a child, then vaginally delivered her, had Protective Services threaten to take the child when a maternity test showed she was not, in fact, the mother. Nor was she the mother of her second child, genetically. Or her third, whom she was still carrying throughout the dispute with her estranged boyfriend — the man who, those same tests proved, was definitively the father. Only later did Lydia Fairchild discover that the true mother of all three of her children was her twin — if  twin  is really the word for one human embryo more or less swallowed by another before birth. The eggs that produced those babies had been with Fairchild her whole life, but genetically they belonged to an unborn sister, unknown to her and even her parents, living on in small parts inside her — a phenomenon that poetic scientists have called “parasitic” or “vanishing” twins. These days, they tend to prefe...

By  Dan Vergano A 34-year-old U.S. man is the first-ever reported case of a paternity test fooled by a human “chimera” — someone with extra genes absorbed from a nascent twin lost in early pregnancy. About  1 in 8  single childbirths are thought to have started as multiple pregnancies. Cells from these miscarried siblings are sometimes absorbed in the womb by a surviving twin — but are only rarely discovered by surprises such as the paternity-test puzzle. “Even geneticists are blown away by this,” Barry Starr, a geneticist at Stanford University, told BuzzFeed News. Last year, a Washington couple came to Starr, who answers the “ Ask a Geneticist ” questions on the website of the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California, looking for help with what appeared to be a mistake at a fertility clinic. The answer to their mystery points to a possible genetic loophole in standard paternity testing, Starr said — “one where we have no idea how big the problem is.” In June 2014, the parent...

By: R.D. Wayne Scott, D.C. and Brent H. Babcock, D.C. SUMMARY OF NET PROCEDURE: This technique is for patients who have experienced NET and desire a great breakthrough concerning their relationship with a Vanishing Twin (VT) or others. This procedure has helped those who are a twin, triplet or have a VT. During development, there are a great deal of materials that are transferred between the fetuses in the uterus. The goal is to become congruent with all that was transferred to the patient. ACTUAL CLINICAL CASE AND RESULTS USING THIS PROCEDURE: A NET patient of 8 years, who had been treated concerning his VT, came in for treatment concerning his relationship with his wife. He was very upset about the terrible war with his spouse. The Fetal Transference Technique was used. There was a major break through concerning the difficulties in all his relationships, with the root of the issues being with the VT. The patient reported he was feeling much better and stated that the new techniques w...

By Teshna Beaulieu, DC |  Certified NET Practitioner 7 Maple Ave. Philmont, NY 12565 | 518-672-4019 |  teshnab@taconic.net Subject Covered by the Article: So many people have been affected by the loss of a Vanishing Twin. I have identified several categories describing the modus operandi of VTS survivors which can help someone clear all the ramifications caused by the trauma of losing a loved one so early in the human experience. Many times I have found that people have had the VTS come up in NET sessions relating to one or more of the aspects described below. However, I found that many aspects have3 not come up yet even though they may be affecting the person’s life. This is a way of exploring these aspects on purpose and clearing them independently of any other topic. Summary of the NET Procedure: This is a procedure containing many steps found useful to help a person feel better about themselves, freer to be who they are and have their needs met without fear of terrible consequences...

Questions to Discover if You May be a Vanishing twin Survivor Vanishing Twin is a word that’s been used since 2003 to describe the fetus or embryo that was a twin, triplet or other multiple but died early in the pregnancy, leaving no detectable trace at birth or before. The remaining child born is called a Vanishing Twin survivor. This is also known as the vanishing twin phenomenon. There are millions Vanishing Twin survivors in the world today that share some common characteristics. Instructions Step1 See if you feel different from other people. Maybe you have a strange sensation that somehow you don’t really exist, you’re not really here or shouldn’t be here. Step2 Look back to see if you have suffered from depression most of your life, you’ve had long-term problems with food and eating and perhaps you’ve always feared abandonment and rejection. These are common, similar feelings of Vanishing Twin survivors. Step3 Understand that feelings of wanting...

Written by Administrator Pharoah, P. D. The aetiology of spastic cerebral palsy (CP), in the majority of cases, is not known but the general consensus is that cerebral impairment occurs prepartum. In monochorionic twin pregnancies, death of one twin late in gestation is recognised as being an important risk factor for the surviving cotwin to have CP. It has been suggested that a a significant proportion of singletons with spastic CP may be the result of death of a cotwin in the second half of gestation. In this paper it is hypothesised that spastic CP unknown aetiology is the result of the death of a monochorionic cotwin and that the death of the cotwin may impair the neurological development of the survivor throughout gestation. If so, vanishing-twin syndrome, which is now a recognised phenomenon revealed by ultrasound examination in early pregnancy, is important in the aetiology of spastic CP.

Landy, M.D., H., Weiner, M.D., S., Corson, M.D., S. Review of the sonographic findings of 1000 pregnancies with viable gestations in the first trimester revealed a minimum incidence of twinning of 3.29%. Of these, 21.9% demonstrated the “vanishing twin” phenomenon, often with associated bleeding, but with a good prognosis for the remaining fetus. Ovulation induction did not appear to alter these data. The sonographic criteria for “vanishing twin” are discussed. The incidence of multiple gestation is 3.29% to 5.39%, higher than previously believed. (Am J Obset Gynecol 1986;155:14-9.)

Kelly, M.D., M. P. Results: A vanishing twin occurred in one third of the twin pregnancies. Forty-six percent of these losses occurred after fetal heart activity had been established. Conclusions: Vanishing twin phenomenon occurred in a large proportion of twin pregnancies in this infertility population. Fetal heart activity was not a reliable predictor of continuing fetal viability in early twin gestation. Vanishing twin conceptions were characterized by a slower rate of rise of hCG than normally progressing twin pregnancies. Fertil Steril 56:211, 1991 The twin resorption rate of 320.5% in this study is consistent with previous reports. References: Levis, S: Ultrasonic assessment of the high rate of human multiple pregnancy in the first trimester. J Clin Ultrasound 4:3, 1976.

Rudnicki, M., Vejerslev, L.O., Junge, Jette Abstract. Twin pregnancy was observed by ultrasonographic examination in the 6th week of gestation. After singleton term delivery a thickening of the membranes opposite to the main placenta showed degenerated chorionic villi embedded between one layer of amnion and chorion; no fetal parts were observed. Villus cells from both placentas were mainly deploid; 2 of 30 were tetraploid. Marker analysis was consistent with duplication of a normal conception diploid chromosome complement as the mechanism for tetraploidy. Postconceptional nondisjunction leading to tetraploidy in one twin conceptus may explain demise in early pregnancy. Tetraploidy observed by chorionic villus biopsy most be confirmed by amniocentesis before interruption of the pregnancy is considered. Gynecol Obstet Invest 1991;31:141-145 At birth the only remnants of a vanishing twin may be fibrous thickening of part of the membranes. The possible difference between chromosome consti...

Saidi, M.D., M. H. Ultrasonic examination of early pregnancies can lead to the discovery of vanishing twins. The main reason for such an evaluation is bleeding in the first trimester. A vanishing twin need not adversely affect the development of a coexisting singleton pregnancy. Therapeutic dilation and curettage for threatened or inevitable abortion should be avoided until a sonogram rules out the presence of a potentially surviving twin. The phenomenon of the vanishing twin is not widely recognized as a cause of first-trimester bleeding. Approximately 5% of patients who presented because of first-trimester bleeding carried this diagnosis. Significant numbers of patients with multiple pregnancy will experience first-trimester bleeding, but in those with a vanishing twin the incidence of early-pregnancy bleeding may be as high as 90%. Journal of Reproductive Medicine Volume 33, Number10/October 1988

Jauniaux, M.D., E., Elkazen, M.D., N., Leroy, M.D., PhD., F., Wilkin, M.D., PhD., P., Rodesch, M.D., PhD, F., Hustin, M.D., PhD., J. The pathologic findings in placentas from ten multiple gestation complicated by the so-called vanishing twin phenomenon were studied to confirm the ultrasonographic evidence. Five pregnancies resulted from in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer, and five conceptions were spontaneous. The pregnancies were studied by repeat ultrasound examinations between five and 12 weeks’ gestation. First-trimester bleeding was the only clinical sign of this phenomenon was found in five cases. Morphologically, the lesions were characterized by well-delineated plaques of perivillous fibrin deposition, associated in one case with embryonic remnants. This focal degenerative change of the placental mass, which also exists in about 25% of placentas from uncomplicated term pregnancies, may be the only clue to the disappearance of one conceptus. (Obstet Gynecol 72:577, ...

Sulak, M.D., L., Dodson, M.D., M. Although the phenomenon of the “vanishing twin” has been noted repeatedly through the use of ultrasound, no confirmatory histologic evidence has been presented previously. This has raised questions concerning the validity of the vanishing twin syndrome. A triplet intrauterine pregnancy was diagnosed ultrasonographically four weeks after in vitro fertilization, but only a single fetus and placenta were delivered at term. Careful examination of the placenta revealed at term. Careful examination of the placenta revealed histologic evidence of the vanished twin. This evidence consisted of a chorion-lined sac containing amorphous material, surrounded by degenerated chorionic villi juxtaposed against a normal amniochorionice membrane. (Obstet Gynecol 68:811, 1986) Landy et al reviewed nine sonographic studies that documented a vanishing twin frequency of between 53 and 78% in multiple pregnancies diagnosed sonographically during the first trimeste...

Reddy, M.B., K.S., Petersen, S.E., M.B., Antonarakis, S.E., Blakemore, K.J. The proportion of multiple gestation sustaining a very early loss is as high as 63 and 71 per cent according to two other sonographic series (Levi, 1975: Schneider et al., 1979). Employing the 48 per cent figure, ‘vanishing twins’ might be expected in 1.6-2.6 per cent of pregnancies continuing as singletons. Many women may experience a short interval of vaginal spotting or bleeding associated with the loss of a twin early in pregnancy. Very early sonography, at 6-8 weeks of gestation, would identify the majority of these as echolucencies suggestive of a degenerating twin sac or sometimes more clearly as an embryonic demise. Prenatal Diagnosis, Volume 11,679-684(1991)

Callen, D.F., Fernandez, H., Hull, Y.J., Svigos, J.M., Chambers, H.M., Sutherland, G.R. A predominantly triploid 69,XXY placenta was found associated with a normal 46,XX infant. Therefore, a triploid placenta is apparently capable of supporting normal fetal development. The chromosome and pathological results support the conclusion that the triploid placenta originates from a ‘vanishing twin’ pregnancy. This case is unusual in that persistence of the placenta from the vanished twin has virtually replaced most of the normal placenta. Prenatal Diagnosis, Volume 11,437-442(1991)

Saturday 20 July 2013 |  The Guardian The closeness of twins, two people as one, and particularly the idea of a psychic connection, has always fascinated people. But what happens to the twin who survives when the other dies? In the US they are known as “twinless twins”, in the UK as lone twins, thanks largely to the work of the Lone Twin Network . The network grew out of a research project conducted in the 1980s by Joan Woodward, who is a lone twin, into the effects on people who had lost a twin. Once the project was complete, Joan encouraged the twins who had taken part to meet and discuss their experiences. Today, the Lone Twin Network has more than 600 members and encourages connections between lone twins via annual meetings, local contacts and a Facebook page . Last month, the network dedicated a memorial bench to all lone twins at the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire . It is intended to be a place for lone twins – many of whom lost a twin at birth and often ha...

A 2-year-old in China is reported to have “given birth” to the undeveloped fetus of his twin. Xiao Feng, of Huaxi, was taken to the hospita l after his parents noticed he had a bloated stomach and was having trouble breathing, News.com.au reported Monday. Doctors found that Feng was carrying an undeveloped fetus inside his abdominal cavity, and removed it through emergency surgery, according to Inquisitr’s translation of newscast from a China Central Television, a state-run media outlet. The fetus, doctors say, was Feng’s twin. Identical twins occur when a fertilized egg splits in two. Conjoined twins occur when a fertilized egg begins to split, but fails to do so completely. In Feng’s case, the fetus was his conjoined twin that had been absorbed into his body inside the womb. Doctors surgically removed the fetus, noting that Feng would have died if the parasitic twin hadn’t been removed. The dead fetus was about 10 inches wide and had a fully-forme...

What really goes on when twins share a womb? If this video is any indication, it could be a similar to what happens once they’re young children — they fight. The amazing images of twins in utero come from a study aimed at using MRI machines to diagnose a potentially deadly condition called twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, Reuters reports. The rare condition occurs only in identical twins, when blood from one twin moves into the other. That can significantly reduce the supply in the twin that loses the blood, causing him or her to be born smaller than their sibling, and with paleness, anemia and dehydration. The twin that receives the blood may be born larger than the other twin with increased blood pressure that may lead to heart failure. The video was made at London’s Center for Fetal Care, according to Reuters, and the so-called cinematic-MRI the hospital used was able to pick up the pictures of what appears to be unborn twins fighting for space in mom’s wom...

Jun. 29, 2009 | Judy Siegel-Itzkovich , THE JERUSALEM POST The prevailing view among parents, the general public and mental health professionals that infants as young as six months old “do not remember” traumatic events that happen to them or to their loved ones has recently been disproved, a professor of infant mental health said at a Jerusalem conference on Sunday. Prof. Alicia Lieberman of the psychiatry department at the University of California at San Francisco told an audience of 300 that young children, even babies, “remember traumatic events in their bodies” with increases in stress hormones such as cortisol and that the event makes a distinct impression on them. Most professionals and parents have pooh-poohed this idea because infants and young toddlers do not have the verbal ability to describe the trauma, but it nevertheless is stored in their brains, she asserted. The message was very relevant to an Israeli audience, as large numbers of infants have s...

Public release date: 5-Jul-2011 | By  Emma Mason   Professor Michael Davies will tell the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Wednesday) that the “vanishing twin” phenomenon, in which only one child is born from a pregnancy that originally starts as a multiple pregnancy, is linked to a nearly two-fold increased risk in any congenital malformation and to a nearly three-fold risk of multiple malformations. Prof Davies, who is an Associate Professor and co-director of the Research Centre for the Early Origins of Health and Disease at the University of Adelaide, Australia, will say: “Our findings show that a ‘vanishing twin’ is a significant risk factor for congenital malformations in the surviving baby. This discovery means that we can now investigate what factors are occurring earlier in the process that could be influencing embryo development and loss. This has significant potential for advancing our unders...

By Shirley A. Ward | Journal of Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health | Fall 2006 People’s anger has deep roots.  The current conflict in their life is usually a trigger for a reservoir of buried emotions that need to surface. Aggression is not something that reflects one’s true nature but rather a screen that separates one from it. Very early parenting begins before conception.  The state of the parents to be is of immense importance to the well-being of the new individual to be conceived.  For this world to be a better place to live in love and peace it takes a healthy ovum and sperm to create a well balance human being. The sexual act between parents, in whatever emotions or non-emotions of conception, will affect one’s coming into being.  Anger does not appear to be a rare negative emotion in this respect. A mother’s response to her pregnancy can have a great effect on the new human organism.  This terror is a direct result which can cause a transmarginal stress.  When mothe...