A 24-year-old woman gave birth to a parasite twin. What is a parasitic twin? The main symptoms of the syndrome of the disappeared twin

Fetal development, characteristic of Siamese twins. To date, scientists have not been able to figure out exactly why parasitic craniopagi appear. Research in this area is still ongoing, but today there are several interesting scientific hypotheses.

Edward Mordrake is the most famous two-faced man in the history of the world.

The name of the only person who was born with two heads and survived to adulthood has been preserved in history. Presumably, his diagnosis is also Craniopagus parasiticus. Edward Mordrake was born into a noble and wealthy English family in the 19th century. There was another face on the back of the child's head. This man had no other visible defects, but this anomaly caused him many problems.

Eyewitnesses describe in their testimonies that Edward's "back" face had an independent facial expression. It often expressed emotions opposite to the mood of its owner. There were rumors about a certain demonic entity that had taken possession of the boy's body. But this is not the worst. Edward said that he constantly hears the terrible whisper of his twin and he tells him terrible things. The young man repeatedly asked the doctors to cut out the face located at the back of the head. Unfortunately, none of the experts dared to carry out such an operation. This story has a tragic end: at the age of 23, Edward committed suicide, having previously bequeathed to cut off the hated extra face posthumously before the funeral. His will was done. Of course, in this case we are talking about a genetic mutation in combination with a mental disorder.

1. A fruit that is entirely in another.
2. Extra limbs or head protruding beyond the body of a healthy child.
3. A visually distinguishable vestigial fetus on a "carrier".

In the first case, the second embryo is located either in the abdominal cavity or in the chest of the "carrier". Situations are much less common when the fetus settles in the head of a brother or sister.

How to discover?

In underdeveloped countries, the "fetus in the fetus" may not be diagnosed until the mature age of the "carrier", being hidden among the internal organs. It is detected only with a thorough examination of a patient who complains of poor health and unreasonable weight loss.

Ischiopagus is diagnosed in an adult with the help of the following studies:

• Radiography.

In studies with imaging, the degree of development is as follows:

The mechanism that triggers this phenomenon has also not been determined. But experts have identified the following risk factors for expectant mothers:

• Work in production, if harmful toxic substances are used in the process.
• Taking medication before conception, during the period of ovulation. Women who were treated with potent drugs in the early stages of pregnancy also fall into this category.
• Living in adverse environmental conditions, which is why a pregnant woman is constantly exposed to poisons.
• The development of mental illness after trauma due to aggressive psychological pressure.

Possible consequences

For the mother, such a fetus is not dangerous. Difficulties arise during childbirth with the external location of additional limbs and other anomalies that have reached large sizes.
For the fetus, this condition is dangerous for several reasons:

The latter causes a violation of the development of the carrier fetus, premature birth and intrauterine death of both embryos.

This anomaly is classified as rare. It is believed that only 1% of pregnancies with more than one fetus end in such consequences. The male embryo is more commonly affected.

Treatment and prognosis

Surgery is the only treatment option if the pathology has not been eliminated during fetal development. But success depends on many factors, such as what organs were shared, how closely the twins grew together, and so on.

The phenomenon of the disappeared twin (FIB) and its explanation. All about the causes of this pathology. Methods for determining the loss of one of the embryos without the knowledge of a pregnant woman, the symptoms of the syndrome in a surviving child.

The content of the article:

Vanishing twin syndrome is a mysterious anomaly that occurs during multiple pregnancies with the birth of eventually only one child. With it, in the early stages, two or more embryos begin to develop in a woman’s uterus, but after the end of the first trimester, only one remains. Scientists have tried to explain this mysterious disappearance by doing a number of studies in this area.

Description of the missing twin syndrome

With the invention of ultrasound diagnostics, doctors changed their minds, discovering a much larger number of such “disappearances” of embryos. At the same time, after the first trimester, women continued to have a pregnancy, and a completely healthy child was born. Consequently, from conception to 12 weeks, one of the fetuses destroyed the embryonic tissue of the other, absorbing it or merging with it.

More seriously, this issue was taken not so long ago, with an emphasis on the theory of Hilbert Gottlieb. The famous American psychologist with his theory of probabilistic epigenesis argued about the influence of the environment, neuronal and genetic activity on the born baby. At the same time, the main conclusion of the scientist was that all the origins of these aspects should be sought in the prenatal period of a child's development.

After a long debate, scientists have come to a unanimous verdict that the disappeared twin syndrome is the result of a kind of natural selection that occurs even in the mother's uterus. After such an outcome of events, the fetus is either absorbed by the body of the mother (twin), or mummified, or, having attached to the placenta, turns into some kind of neoplasm (cyst).

If the pathology is detected in the later stages, then we are already talking about the fading of the fetus. Therefore, it is by no means possible to consider the life tragedy that happened and the phenomenon of the disappearance of a twin as identical phenomena. In this situation, urgent hospitalization of the expectant mother is necessary so that the second child does not suffer.

Causes of intrauterine anomalies

• Different potential of embryos. Voiced incompatibility in early pregnancy often leads to the development (in the form of a single fetus) of the more viable of the embryos and the disappearance of the other.
• "Nature's mistake". She corrects it in the very first weeks of an interesting position in a woman. One twin gives way to another, which is typical for one third of the course of multiple pregnancy.
• Reserve stock. Some scientists believe that in this way nature is insured. As a result, one of the fetuses still continues to function after the disappearance of the other, after which a healthy child is born.
• Rejection by the mother. This happens due to the fact that one of the embryos has any genetic abnormalities. With a broken chromosome set, such a fetus is destroyed by the uterus.

Risk group for the occurrence of FIB

1. Ladies over 30-35 years old. In this situation, we are not talking about the fact that it is necessary to give birth exclusively at a young age. Future motherhood should be taken with all responsibility. However, experts recommend remembering that a more mature woman is more likely to be subject to all sorts of unpleasant surprises when carrying two or more fetuses.
2. Existing twins (triplets). Heredity is a serious thing and practically not amenable to correction. In this situation, you should be prepared for the fact that the pregnancy will be multiple and there is a risk of FIB.
3. ECO. In this case, everything depends on the chosen clinic and the professionalism of the specialists working there. It is with hereditary predisposition and IVF that most often two embryos enter the uterus of a woman at once.
4. Use of fertility drugs. Interfering with the work of your body, you should prepare for an unexpected turn of events. This is especially true for those women who self-medicate on the advice of their girlfriends. As a result, everything can end with both a successful pregnancy and the loss of one of the embryos in the first trimester.

The main symptoms of the syndrome of the disappeared twin

So many people are unaware that there was a twin with them in the womb of their mother. FIB scientists usually determine by some symptoms that are very similar to a real miscarriage.

Signs of pathology in a pregnant woman

• Uterine bleeding. It can occur for a variety of reasons. One of them is the threat of miscarriage, which sometimes does not occur even after the woman refuses to visit the doctor. Subsequently, she gives birth to a healthy baby, not even suspecting that he could have a twin.
• Cramps in the lower abdomen. After a visit to the doctor and an ultrasound, the woman calms down, because the study shows the normal course of her pregnancy. As a result, everything is fine with the fetus, and the second one at that moment could simply disappear at the same 7-8 weeks of gestation.
• convulsions. If the expectant mother is not subject to tonic (excessive physical activity), clonic (problems of functioning of the cerebral cortex) or partial (epilepsy) spasms, then there is a chance that one of her twins will disappear with such symptoms.

FIBA symptoms in a child

As a result of this contact, a child may develop physical and emotional deviations from the generally accepted norm after the loss of his twin:

1. Sixth finger or toe in a newborn. A rather popular hypothesis among doctors is that this happens after the “resorption” in the first trimester of the twin of the baby that was born.
2. Communication with a non-existent friend. Adults are equally disturbed when this happens both with their baby and with an older child. When schizophrenia is excluded, specialists consider this factor to be the result of FIB.
3. passion for mirrors. It is in them on a subconscious level that the child is looking for his copy, which was not born. The exception is narcissists, for whom narcissism is the norm.
4. strange dreams. Children, and then adults, periodically, during immersion in the kingdom of Morpheus, their non-existent twin comes. Such dreams are very realistic and colorful, but often cause extremely disturbing thoughts.
5. Doubt in your field. In this case, we are talking about the XY chromosome and the XX set, which began to develop in twins in the womb during one pregnancy. If one of them disappeared according to ultrasound data in the first trimester of gestation, then the child who was then born into the world as they grow older may not be sure of their gender.

Prevention of the disappearance of a twin in the first trimester

• Careful pregnancy planning. As already mentioned, the uterus can destroy one of the embryos if it has any developmental abnormalities. Therefore, before deciding to become parents, it is necessary to be examined by all specialists. Particular attention should be paid to visits to a geneticist, whose consultation in most cases will help prevent trouble.
• Early detection of multiple pregnancy. Modern medicine allows you to determine your interesting position in the shortest possible time. For any suspicion of characteristic changes in your body, you need to take a test that you can actually buy at the nearest pharmacy. In any case, it is recommended to play it safe even after its negative result and undergo an ultrasound examination. It is it that will help determine the presence of more than one embryo in the uterus of a woman.
• Measures to Preserve Pregnancy. Being at risk, future mothers of twins should be constantly monitored by their doctor. If necessary, they need to go to the hospital to save the twins. It is under these conditions that with the help of Doppler, specialists will be able to observe the heartbeat of both embryos.

What is the syndrome of the disappeared twin - look at the video:

Birth defects are abnormalities in the structure or function of various organs that are present at birth and can cause mental or physical abnormalities. Some of the birth defects below are fairly well known, while others are extremely rare. But be that as it may, they are all rather creepy, mysterious and tragic. So…

This is a rare condition (about one in 200,000 births) in which twins are born united in one or more parts of the body. In 70-75% of all cases, Siamese twins are female. About half are born dead. Sometimes they can be separated, which allows Siamese twins to live a full life, but more often than not, this is not possible.

Hypertrichosis (Ambrams syndrome)

Hypertrichosis is a disease that manifests itself in excessive hair growth, unusual for this area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skin. Fortunately, this is a very rare disease and there are currently only 40 people in the world suffering from hypertrichosis. The illness is extremely debilitating for children, as they are often rejected by their peers.

Sirenomelia (mermaid syndrome)

Sirenomelia is a developmental anomaly that manifests itself in the form of fusion of the lower extremities. It occurs in one case per 100 thousand newborns. As a rule, it leads to death, 1-2 days after birth, this is due to the oddities in the development and functioning of the kidneys and bladder. However, there are cases when children with this anomaly (even without surgical intervention) lived for several years. So, the American girl Shiloh Pepin, who suffered from sirenomelia, was able to live for more than 10 years.

Cyclopia, as you might guess, is named after the famous mythical creature Cyclops. Children born with cyclopia have only one eye, located in the middle of the head. In 100% of all cases, newborns die in the first days of life.

A type of twin fusion in which the head of a twin, which does not have a body, grows to the head of a normal child. History knows only ten recorded examples of this anomaly, and only in three of them the child remained alive after birth. In one case, the second head was able to smile, blink, cry, and suck on the mother's breast.

A rare disease (1 case in 2 million), resulting from a gene mutation and manifested by congenital developmental defects - primarily curved big toes and disorders in the cervical spine. The basis of fibrodysplasia is the formation of inflammatory processes in the tendons, ligaments, fascia, aponeuroses and muscles, which ultimately leads to their calcification and ossification. The disease is also called "The disease of the second skeleton", since, in fact, where regular anti-inflammatory processes are required to occur in the body, bone growth begins.

Progeria is a rare genetic defect in which changes in the skin and internal organs occur due to early aging of the body. No more than 80 cases of progeria have been recorded in the world.

A birth defect in which a baby is born with a semi-functional tail, complete with muscles, nerves, skin, and blood vessels. It is thought to be caused by a gene mutation.

Anencephaly is the complete or partial absence of the cerebral hemispheres, bones of the cranial vault and soft tissues. It occurs approximately once per 10 thousand newborns (in the USA), more often in female fetuses. The defect in 100% of cases is lethal. 50% of fetuses with anencephaly die in utero, the remaining 50% are born alive, but only 66% can last a few hours (however, there are cases that some lived for about a week). Stephanie Keane, better known by the nickname Baby Kay, is considered to be the “long-liver” among anencephalians, who lived with this terrible diagnosis for 2 years 174 days.

Recently, doctors of the Barnaul Regional Clinical Hospital (Altai Territory) encountered such a phenomenon. According to them, they "interrupted the pregnancy" ... a five-month-old resident of Barnaul, Vera N.

- The girl was brought to us (to the regional clinical children's hospital. - Auth.) with a suspected tumor, - says the surgeon who operated on her, Yuri Ten. - She had problems with breathing, but in the children's clinic, the doctors could not figure out what was wrong. X-rays showed some kind of neoplasm in the baby's tummy, but did not give a clear answer. When we got to this "tumor", we found that it was actually an embryo with a diameter of about 15 centimeters. Everyone was just in shock, and the nurse almost fainted. However, this phenomenon is so rare that it is not surprising. Over the past 200 years, only 76 cases of such pathology have been described in medical practice.

According to Yuri Vasilyevich, children with congenital deformities are often born in the Altai Territory. The reason for this is the proximity of the Semipalatinsk test site - its surroundings are contaminated with heptyl (rocket fuel. - Auth.), Hence all kinds of anomalies. But how a premature fetus appeared in the body of his patient, the surgeon could not answer - in the case of Vera, heptyl had nothing to do with it.

The body of a child in a man's chest

“A few years ago, in Nizhny Novgorod, policemen picked up the corpse of a man on the street. They did not find any traces of criminal death and took him to the morgue.

The pathologist, who opened the chest of 43-year-old Vladimir B. (the identity of the deceased was established along the way), froze over the corpse with a scalpel raised. In his patient's chest rested a stiff lump of flesh, resembling the body of a twisted child. The doctor took it out and put it on the scales. The arrow stopped at 6.200.

One head is good, but two?

“He had a head with thick hair, but no eyes and nose were observed - only a mouth,” said the doctor. - But the hands were underdeveloped, as were the internal organs.

Lazar loved his "brother" very much, took care of him and even wore two handkerchiefs: one for himself, the other for the smaller one, since the latter salivated from his mouth when Colloredo ate.

He lived for 43 years and did not need anything. As a child, he made good money showing his brother at fairs. There he was spotted by the courtiers of the French king Louis XIV. They brought him to Paris, where Lazar soon became the royal musketeer.

Two-faced suicide

The Janus Phenomenon stands alone in teratology. Named after the two-faced ancient Roman god, these freaks were encountered by scientists only in the embryonic state. The "Janus" who was born and lived to adulthood was Edward Moerdijk, the son of an English peer.

He was a very gifted young man. He was destined for a career as a musician or scientist. But his life was cut short at the age of 23.

Mordijk's normal face was quite handsome. But on the back of the head there was another face, its absolute antipode. It rejoiced when Mordijk wept. His eyes followed what was happening, and his lips continually writhed in an evil smirk. It did not utter a sound, but the young man said that the second face did not allow sleep and constantly whispered "things that you can only hear in hell."

Mordijk, in addition to his family members, was followed by a whole army of doctors. But one day he managed to secretly take poison. In his suicide note, he asked to "destroy the demonic face", so that at least in the grave it would leave him alone.

Intrauterine tragedy

“I have never had to deal with something like this,” Cleophas Gaeros, doctor at the Arequipa Medical Center, told the Interlocutor. “My patient had twins, but one of the babies was stillborn. I would even say - killed: his brother strangled him. The boy's neck was broken. The "killer" was clutching the end of his brother's umbilical cord in his hand. It felt like the babies had a fight before they were born. Evelina Verones, mother of the twins, was in despair.

“I can never treat my son like a normal child,” she says. And I will live with this nightmare for the rest of my life.