When you are expecting twins, you can expect double the fun. However, there are several risks that increase during a twin pregnancy. This article outlines some of the common twin pregnancy complications that you should be aware of if you or someone you know is expecting a multiple birth.
First, let's look at how twins happen. Fraternal twins occur when two eggs are fertilized by two sperm. Fraternal twins can look completely different because the eggs and sperm carry different genetic information. Identical twins form when a fertilized egg splits into to separate embryos. Because all of their genetic information is the exact same, identical twins can look exactly alike.
One condition that can arise with an identical twin pregnancy is called monochorionic twins, or MC. There is a 70% chance that identical twins can develop into MC twins. Normally, babies each have their own amniotic sac placenta. With monochorionic twins, the babies share a single sac and a single placenta. This means that the umbilical cords can be implanted anywhere, which usually results in unequal placenta sharing. Because the placenta is in charge of giving blood supply and nutrients to the developing babies, one child may end up malnourished if its twin gets the majority of the placenta.
Another thing that can happen with MC pregnancy is twin to twin transfusion syndrome, or TTTS. Because MC twins are so closely connected, even their blood vessels can develop intertwined. One twin ends up being the donor, while the other is the recipient of the blood supply.
1% of monochorionic twins have an acardiac twin or a TRAP sequence. This stands for twin reversed arterial perfusion. With this condition, one twin is completely structurally normal. However, the other "twin" is actually a mass of tissue that may have legs and a lower body but no abdomen, head, or heart. Even though the acardiac twin (twin without a heart) has no chance at life, the normal twin's heart pumps blood for the abnormal tissue mass.
The phrase TRAP sequence refers to an anomaly with the formation of the acardiac twin's arteries. Typically, arteries carry blood away from a fetus and into the placenta so that it can be resupplied with oxygen and nutrients. However, twin reversed arterial perfusion allows for the arteries of the acardiac twin to flow in a reverse way, so that the blood flows towards the twin rather than away from it.
Twins, whether monochorionic or not, often require specialized attention from health care professionals. If your doctor fails to correctly handle a twin pregnancy and a twin delivery, this can result in birth defects and birth injuries for your bundles of joy.
For more information regarding birth injury law, check out the birth injury lawyers at Lowenthal & Abrams, PC, today.