What happens when one twin dies in the uterus?
Advertisement document.write(”); The loss of a twin during the first trimester of pregnancy doesn’t appear to affect the development of the remaining baby (Prmpeler et al 1994). The fetus that has died is usually completely reabsorbed by the mother (known as “vanishing twin” syndrome), with few or no symptoms. This doesn’t mean that your won’t feel upset. You have probably spent several weeks between the two scans imagining what it would be like to have twins. You may now feel sadness at the loss of your expectations. If one twin dies in the uterus in the second or third trimester, it may still be too early for the other baby to survive outside the uterus, so the pregnancy needs to continue for days or even weeks. Careful monitoring of both mother and the surviving baby during the rest of pregnancy can detect any signs of trouble. If the survival of the second twin is compromised, he might need to be born earlier. Most babies whose co-twin died in the uterus in the second or third tri