What is a womb twin survivor?
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A womb twin survivor is a surviving twin whose co-twin died in the womb at any stage of pregnancy until birth or shortly afterwards. Another term used for such a person is "Twinless twin." This term is used on this web site for surviving twins whose twin was born with them and may have lived for many years. The term "womb twin survivor" applies only to those surviving twins whose twin was born dead or died in the womb.

My research and support work extends to the womb twin survivor and also to their siblings.

This loss also includes a multiple pregnancy which resulted in the birth of twins or more, but during which one or more of the babies died before or around birth.

A womb twin is a term used since 2003 to describe an embryo or fetus that died in the womb. The loss of a twin very early in pregnancy has been called "vanishing twin" phenomenon since the 1980s when twin pregnancies were made visible by means of ultrasound (sonograph) scanning. Two developing gestational sacs are seen at the first ultrasound scan but only one is visible at the second scan,but these tiny womb twins don't "vanish". They die.

The womb twin may die bcause of a poorly implanted placenta; a developmental anomaly that may cause major organs to fail or be missing completely; there may be a chromosome abnormality incompatible with life. Frequently the twin is a blighted ovum, that never developed beyond the very earliest stages of embryo development. A co-twin born dead is a womb twin. A womb twin may be identical (monozygotic) or fraternal (dizygotic.)

A fraternal (dizygotic) womb twin:

• may or may not have shared a placenta with the survivor
• may or may not have been expelled from the womb after death
• may have survived for weeks or months
• may or may not have been developing normally

An identical (monozygotic) womb twin:

• may or may not have shared an amniotic sac with the survivor
• may or may not have shared a placenta with the survivor
• may or may not have been expelled from the womb after death
• may or may not have been absorbed into the body of the survivor
• may have survived for weeks or months
• may or may not have been developing normally

 

For more: Wombtwin survivors: an introduction. (Free download)