The evanescent twin syndrome
The first ultrasound of pregnancy is usually performed between the eighth and week 12. Thanks to ultrasound we have been able to know everything that happens inside the uterus and how the baby develops. Likewise, curious facts have been discovered such as the syndrome of the evanescent twin or of th
The first ultrasound of pregnancy is usually performed between the eighth and week 12. Thanks to ultrasound we have been able to know everything that happens inside the uterus and how the baby develops. Likewise, curious facts have been discovered such as the syndrome of the evanescent twin or of the missing twin. It occurs when initially the pregnancy is multiple, and this is revealed by ultrasound, but weeks later the same test shows that one of the babies has disappeared.
When one of the babies disappears in a multiple pregnancy
Studies reveal that many of us may have been twins initially, but for some reason one of the babies was reabsorbed and never developed. It may seem like science fiction, but it is not an uncommon phenomenon. The frequency with which the missing twin syndrome occurs is 21%. Some studies say that
1 in 8 people started their life as a twin of another who disappeared during pregnancy. It happens during the first weeks of pregnancy, when the embryos are still very small and this event has been known thanks to the ultrasound scans.
A woman undergoes the first ultrasound within a few weeks of becoming pregnant and she reveals that she expects twins and even triplets, however, weeks later,
the ultrasound reveals that one of the babies has disappeared .In most cases, the twin is absorbed by the placenta, by the other brother, by the mother or by the uterine walls. The development of an abnormality in the placenta, such as a cyst or amorphous material, may also occur.
Scientists believe that it is caused by
abnormalities in the chromosomesor lack of resources in the placenta due to overload, in those cases, nature sacrifices one or more babies to ensure the survival of others. Some mothers know what happened to them thanks to early ultrasounds but many others never know.
Source
: National Geographic
