The birth of a child is always a time of great joy for parents and the whole family, and when the news is that the woman is pregnant with twins, there is an initial surprise, but the happiness tends to be even greater. All the anticipation for the children’s arrival comes along with mental and financial preparation and the excitement of witnessing something so rare and so beautiful at the same time. Although these good feelings are normal in these circumstances, there are cases where all this joy turns to anguish and concern, which is what happens when one of the twins dies in the womb, for example. Death is always traumatic for any family, which is normal. But the death of a child, even when it is the death of one twin in the womb, always comes with a different kind of sadness, which can deeply affect the parents and make everything very worrying, especially for the mother’s health.
To deal with the pain caused by such a loss, having psychological support is essential. After all, the mother needs to be well to go through the rest of the pregnancy in a healthy way. For this reason, I recommend seeking a psychologist experienced in caring for women trying to conceive and pregnant women1. Get to know the psychology service at Famivita and benefit from a free first evaluation session. Click here to learn more!
Of course, mourning exists, but there is also another child alive inside the woman, which usually arouses a mixture of feelings such as worry and hope. To better understand the reasons and consequences of this type of phenomenon, we have listed some key topics we consider essential for understanding the subject.
What Happens When One Twin Dies in the Womb?
In such cases, the pregnancy needs to be carried to term and birth takes place as usual. This is because the other fetus will likely be weakened by the death of their sibling and cannot be put at any risk until birth. Of course, several precautions also need to be taken, both physically and psychologically, since it is a major trauma for the mother. Although it may sound strange and even shock many people, the standard procedure to be followed is to keep the dead baby in the womb until the end of the pregnancy. Often, even after death, the baby continues developing and even releasing hormones. This, of course, depends on the cause of the baby’s death and also on when during pregnancy it occurred2. Many believe that the other baby is at risk and should be removed from the mother, but the truth is that inducing premature labor can be much more harmful to the baby. What’s important in this moment is to keep calm and understand the situation so that the pregnancy can proceed safely to term and neither the mother nor the other baby suffers any harm to their health.
Is It Normal for One Twin to Die in the Womb?
A twin pregnancy generally carries more risks than a single pregnancy, and so there are several reasons that may cause one of the twins to die in the womb3. In the first trimester, for example, it is possible for a twin pregnancy to be detected but for only one of the babies to fully develop in the mother’s womb. This occurs in about 20% of twin pregnancies, which can be considered a high rate. So we can’t say it is completely normal for one of the twins to die in the mother’s womb, but it does happen more often than many people imagine, as it is a pregnancy with many risks.
What Are the Risks for the Surviving Sibling?
When one of the twins dies in the womb, there is also the risk that the surviving twin will be born with complications. British studies conducted between 1993 and 1995 found that the chances of a child being born with mental problems are 20% higher than normal if they are a surviving twin. The number is even higher when the case involves identical twins. One of the main theories behind this is that the death of one fetus ends up affecting blood circulation in the surviving twin, increasing the risk of cerebral palsy. Moreover, this theory explains why the risk is higher in identical twins, since in these cases they usually share the same sac. Nevertheless, there are also many cases where the child is born without any health problems, especially when the other baby’s death happened early in pregnancy. Therefore, there is no reason to panic about your surviving child’s health, although you should definitely pay special attention to the rest of the pregnancy.
How to Cope With the Death of a Twin
With all these aspects involving the mother’s health and the other baby’s health, little is said about how to handle the grief of losing a child. Mourning is common in such cases, even amidst the concern for the health and wellbeing of those left behind. It is also common for the mother to have feelings such as deep sadness and guilt, with thoughts that she could have done something to prevent it. It’s not something that resolves overnight, but coming to terms with what happened also comes with time.
Should You Tell the Surviving Twin?
Many mothers wonder whether or not to tell their child about the death of the other baby while still in the womb. This is a delicate issue, but the most advisable approach is to share when she feels ready and when the child is also ready to hear about it. This is something that should be discussed among family members, but it is certain that it is not healthy to keep this a secret from the child forever; only that the right time should be found for this conversation to take place.
The Mother’s Psychological Health
It is also very common for mothers and fathers to seek professional help after one of the twins dies in the womb, since so many conflicting emotions arise. It is healthy and recommended for the mother to seek help to maintain emotional balance, for her own psychological health and so as not to harm the other baby who is still alive inside her. The duration of the mother’s treatment with a psychologist will vary according to her emotional state, the professional’s evaluation, and also the mother’s wishes. Despite the grief and trauma of the death, parents must not let themselves be overwhelmed when one of the twins dies in the mother’s womb—especially because there is still another baby inside her who is alive and probably healthy.
The Time of Birth
What needs to be done at this moment is to take the necessary steps to ensure that childbirth is as minimally traumatic as possible for the woman, and to make sure the parents are in good psychological condition, especially the mother, since the trauma is much greater for women in these situations. Also see: High-Risk Pregnancy – Which Cases Are Considered? Photo: TawnyNina
