The healing path. The death of a womb twin

There are many ways in which a twin may die in the womb or around birth.  There are three whole chapters devoted to the death of one twin in my book "Womb Twin Survivors: the lost twin in the Dream of the womb.."

Here is a list

Death around birth

Stillbirth
Neonatal death
Separation of siamese twins
The twins body leaves from the womb during pregnancy

Total miscarriage of one twin
Abortion causing total miscarriage of one twin

The twin within (1) parasitic twin-a fetus in fetu

When identical twins are formed, one twin begins to develop inside the other, either partially or totally. This is probably the most dramatic example of twinning and  stories of parasitic twins or the fetus in fetu are often to be found in the media.

Here is a study of parasitic twins that has been sensationalised as far as possible:




Here is a good example of how a fetus  in fetu can be made into a good story:



This is a medical anomaly requiring surgical intervention

Yet this is also a sad story of a twin that is not a whole living twin, and therefore the dominant twin will feel a sense of somehow losing out from the twin-twin relationship and also the burden of carrying the weaker twin everywhere with them.

It is important that parents who have consented to have the parasitic twin or the fetus in fetu removed surgically, should bear in mind that the sole survivor, relieved on the physical burden, may still be carrying a psychological burden, a feeling that they have a duty to their twin that is is some way being avoided. Parents should simply bear this in mind and consider the possibility that this psychological effect can be healed, but first it must be acknowledged and understood for what it is.

Surgery is not the end of the story- twinning is a prenatal experience, the effect of which will remain for life, hard-wired into the brain of the survivor.

A parasitic twin, now vanished.

This little boy in India carried his twin as a parasitic set of limbs for many years until it was removed.


THE PARASITIC TWIN

Eight-year-old Indian boy Deepak Kumar Paswaan was born with body parts of his twin attached to the chest. The phenomenon, also known as "conjoined twin syndrome" or "vanishing twin syndrome" occurs when twin fetuses don't completely separate in utero. One ceases to develop and becomes absorbed into the healthy fetus. The undeveloped twin is called parasitic because it is dependent on the body functions of the healthy twin to live.

Deepak was called "octopus boy" by some of the locals and was even accused of being the devil in a human body. Fortunately, thanks to the help of some volunteers, enough money was raised to have the parasitic twin removed.


I wonder if he feels a sense of loss now?

I hear from womb twin survivors who have surgery to remove their twin in the form of a dermoid cyst, teratoma,  foetus in foetu or parasitic body parts, and who feel that sense of mourning and loss after surgery.

Read about how it felt for Deepak (known as octopus boy) to be eight years old with a parastitic twin that twitched in spasms which he could not control.

Read about how the surgery to remove his twin has changed his life.

Something missing

A little girl has her twin growing inside her ( this is known as fetus in fetu)
Story here
She will have surgery, the fetus will be removed and she will then become a womb twin survivor. No one will recognise that this loss will have a psychological effect on her. The effect may not be significant and ashe may have a happy life. Probably she will never say a word to anyone but there will always be a strange sense of something missing. Sher may work it out for herself but people will laugh at her when she says she is "missing" a growth that once existed inside her.

No one will suggest that the body parts of her lost twin are disposed of with respect, as now happens after miscarriage. The fetus will probably be preserved in formalin and languish in a lab for decades.

I recently received an email about a woman who had ovarian cysts and a teratoma (which is like a fetus in fetu but less organised and developed into human form) and she said:

I never knew I was one of a twin until about 10 years ago when I had a scan showing ovarian cysts which were later proved to be dermoid and teratoma. I have researched the symptoms of womb twin survivors and I am amazed and relieved to know that there is an explanation for how I feel.....

This little girl may benefit one day from the book I am writing, for that will explain it all. So, back to work at my keyboard and let's get it done soon.....