Seminars in Fetal & Neonatal Medicine
Volume 15, Issue 6 , Pages 319-326 , December 2010

Single twin demise: consequence for survivors

  • S.C. Hillman

      Affiliations

    • School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
    • ,
  • R.K. Morris

      Affiliations

    • School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
    • Fetal Medicine Centre, Birmingham Women’s Foundation NHS Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK
    • ,
  • M.D. Kilby

      Affiliations

    • School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
    • Fetal Medicine Centre, Birmingham Women’s Foundation NHS Trust, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TG, UK
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +44 0121 627 2778; fax: +44 0121 623 6875.

References 

  1. West CR, Adi Y, Pharoah POD. Fetal and infant death in mono- and dizygotic twins in England and Wales 1982–91. Archs Dis Childh. 1999;80:F217–F220
  2. Murphy KW. Intrauterine death in a twin: implications for the survivor. In:  Ward RH,  Whittle M editor. Multiple pregnancy. London: RCOG Press; 1995;p. 218–230
  3. Ong S, Zamora J, Khan K, Kilby MD. Single twin demise; consequences to the survivor. In:  Kilby MD,  Baker P,  Critchley H editor. Multiple pregnancy. London: RCOG Press; 2006;
  4. Benirschke K. Intrauterine death of a twin: mechanisms, implications for surviving twin, and placental pathology. Semin Diagn Pathol. 1993;10:222–231
  5. Malinowski W, Koktysz R, Stawerski P. The case of monochorionic twin gestation complicated by intrauterine demise of one fetus in the first trimester. Twin Res Hum Genet. 2005;8:262–266
  6. Anand D, Platt MJ, Pharoah POD. Comparative development of surviving co-twins of vanishing twin conceptions, twins and singletons. Twin Res Hum Genet. 2007;10:210–215
  7. Kilby MD, Govind A, O’Brien PM. Outcome of twin pregnancies complicated by a single intrauterine death: a comparison with viable twin pregnancies. Obstet Gynecol. 1994;84:107–109
  8. Kaufman HK, Hume RF, Calhoun BC, et al. Natural history of twin gestation complicated by in utero fetal demise: associations of chorionicity, prematurity, and maternal morbidity. Fetal Diagn Ther. 2003;18:442–446
  9. Dudley DK, D’Alton ME. Single fetal death in twin gestation. Semin Perinatol. 1986;10:65–72
  10. Paludetto R. Neonatal complications specific to twin (multiple) births (twins transfusion syndrome, intrauterine death of cotwin). J Perinat Med. 1991;19(Suppl. 51):
  11. Roberts D, Neilson JP, Kilby MD, Gates S. Interventions for the treatment of twin–-twin transfusion syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2008;2:CD002073
  12. Gratacos E, Carreras E, Becker J, et al. Prevalence of neurological damage in monochorionic twins with selective intrauterine growth restriction and intermittent absent or reversed end-diastolic umbilical artery flow. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2004;24:159–163
  13. Chang YL, Chang SD, Chao AS, Hsieh PC, Wang CN, Wang TH. Clinical outcome and placental territory ratio of monochorionic twin pregnancies and selective intrauterine growth restriction with different types of umbilical artery Doppler. Prenat Diagn. 2009;29:253–256
  14. Santema JG, Swaak AM, Wallenburg HC. Expectant management of twin pregnancy with single fetal death. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1995;102:26–30
  15. Ong SS, Zamora J, Khan KS, Kilby MD. Prognosis for the co-twin following single-twin death: a systematic review. BJOG. 2006;113:992–998
  16. Johnson CD, Zhang J. Survival of other fetuses after a fetal death in twin or triplet pregnancies. Obstet Gynecol. 2002;99(5 Pt 1):t-703
  17. Fusi L, McParland P, Fisk N, Nicolini U, Wigglesworth J. Acute twin–twin transfusion: a possible mechanism for brain-damaged survivors after intrauterine death of a monochorionic twin. Obstet Gynecol. 1991;78(3 Pt 2):t-20
  18. Nicolini U, Pisoni MP, Cela E, Roberts A. Fetal blood sampling immediately before and within 24 hours of death in monochorionic twin pregnancies complicated by single intrauterine death. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1998;179(3:Pt 1):t-3
  19. Okamura K, Murotsuki J, Tanigawara S, Uehara S, Yajima A. Funipuncture for evaluation of hematologic and coagulation indices in the surviving twin following co-twin’s death. Obstet Gynecol. 1994;83:975–978
  20. Bajoria R, Wee LY, Anwar S, Ward S. Outcome of twin pregnancies complicated by single intrauterine death in relation to vascular anatomy of the monochorionic placenta. Hum Reprod. 1999;14:2124–2130
  21. Cleary-Goldman J, D’Alton M. Management of single fetal demise in a multiple gestation. Obstet Gynecol Surv. 2004;59:285–298
  22. O’Donoghue K, Rutherford MA, Engineer N, Wimalasundera RC, Cowan FM, Fisk NM. Transfusional fetal complications after single intrauterine death in monochorionic multiple pregnancy are reduced but not prevented by vascular occlusion. BJOG. 2009;116:804–812
  23. Adegbite AL, Castille S, Ward S, Bajoria R. Prevalence of cranial scan abnormalities in preterm twins in relation to chorionicity and discordant birth weight. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2005;119:47–55
  24. Lewi L, Deprest J. Fetal problems in multiple pregnancy. In:  James DK,  Steer PJ,  Weiner CP,  Gonik B editor. High risk pregnancy management options. Philadelphia: Saunders/Elsevier; 2005;p. 535–539
  25. Bonellie SR, Currie D, Chalmers J. Comparison of risk factors for cerebral plasy in twins and singletons. Dev Med Child Neurol. 2005;47:587–591
  26. Luu TM, Vohr B. Twinning on the brain: the effect on neurodevelopmental outcomes. Am J Med Genet. 2009;151C:142–147
  27. Pharoah POD, Adi Y. Consequences of in-utero death in a twin pregnancy. Lancet. 2000;355(9215):1597–1602
  28. Glinianaia SV, Pharoah POD, Wright C, Rankin JM. Fetal or infant death in twin pregnancy: neurodevelopmental consequence for the survivor. Archs Dis Childh. 2002;86:F9–15
  29. Fichera A, Zambolo C, Accorsi P, Martelli P, Ambrosi C, Frusca T. Perinatal outcome and neurological follow up of the cotwins in twin pregnancies complicated by single intrauterine death. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2009;147:37–40
  30. Nelson KB, Ellenberg JH. Childhood neurological disorders in twins. Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 1995;9:135–145
  31. Whitfield KE, Brandon DT, Wiggins S, Vogler G, McClearn G. Does intact pair status matter in the study of African American twins? The Carolina African American twin study of aging. Exp Aging Res. 2003;29:407–423
  32. Graef C, Ellenrieder B, Hecher K, Hackeloer BI, Huber A, Bartmann P. Long-term neurodevelopmental outcome of 167 children after intrauterine laser treatment for severe twin–twin transfusion syndrome. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2006;194:303–308
  33. Banek CS, Hecher K, Hackeloer BJ, Bartmann P. Long-term neurodevelopmental outcome after intrauterine laser treatment for severe twin–twin transfusion syndrome. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2003;188:876–880
  34. Sutcliffe AG, Sebire NJ, Pigott AJ, Taylor B, Edwards PR, Nicolaides KH. Outcome for children born after in utero laser ablation therapy for severe twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 2001;108:1246–1250
  35. Gratacos E, Antolin E, Lewi L, et al. Monochorionic twins with selective intrauterine growth restriction and intermittent absent or reversed end-diastolic flow (Type III): feasibility and perinatal outcome of fetoscopic placental laser coagulation. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2008;31:669–675
  36. D’Alton ME, Newton ER, Cetrulo CL. Intrauterine fetal demise in multiple gestation. Acta Genet Med Gemellol. 1984;33:43–49
  37. Senat MV, Bernard JP, Loizeau S, Ville Y. Management of single fetal death in twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome: a role for fetal blood sampling. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2002;20:360–363
  38. Hu LS, Caire J, Twickler DM. MR findings of complicated multifetal gestations. Pediatr Radiol. 2006;36:76–81
  39. Glenn OA. MR imaging of the fetal brain. Pediatr Radiol. 2010;40:68–81
  40. Child A, Norton M, Barkovich J, Bartha A, Glenn OA. Intracranial-MRI findings in the surviving fetus after a co-twin demise. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2007;197:178
  41. Tanawattanacharoen S, Taylor MJ, Letsky EA, Cox PM, Cowan FM, Fisk NM. Intrauterine rescue transfusion in monochorionic multiple pregnancies with recent single intrauterine death. Prenat Diagn. 2001;21:274–278
  42. Barigye O, Pasquini L, Galea P, Chambers H, Chappell L, Fisk NM. High risk of unexpected late fetal death in monochorionic twins despite intensive ultrasound surveillance: a cohort study. PLoS Med. 2005;2:e172
  43. Fusi L, Gordon H. Twin pregnancy complicated by single intrauterine death. Problems and outcome with conservative management. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1990;97:511–516

PII: S1744-165X(10)00040-5

doi: 10.1016/j.siny.2010.05.004

Seminars in Fetal & Neonatal Medicine
Volume 15, Issue 6 , Pages 319-326 , December 2010

Article Tools

* Image Usage & Resolution