How can conjoined twins be formed

Consultations providers only : Call Providers, read how to refer patients. What are conjoined twins? Usually, the connection is more complex. In some cases, children may share: Vital organs, like 1 heart Many structures, like several parts of the digestive , genital and urinary systems A large portion of the body, like all of the lower body Part of the brain and skull What causes conjoined twins?

There are 2 ideas about what causes conjoined twinning: The egg divides late and does not divide all the way. The egg divides but then joins back together. Compassionate care, starting with diagnosis Usually, parents find that their twins are conjoined when the mother has an ultrasound during pregnancy. Our Prenatal Diagnosis and Treatment team will do a detailed evaluation.

We provide information and compassionate support to guide you in finding the care that is right for your family. Our transport team of physicians, nurses and respiratory therapists are national leaders in safely moving fragile newborns. We are skilled and equipped to care for the sickest newborns. Each set of conjoined twins is unique. Other specialists as needed will care for your child.

These may include cardiologists, lung specialists, anesthesiologists, urologists, orthopedic surgeons, plastic surgeons, neurosurgeons, cardiac surgeons, physical therapists, occupational therapists and nutritionists.

Even so, surgery is not always the best choice. We work with you to decide on the best treatment for your babies. Whether your twins are separated or remain joined, we provide complete care through childhood and into the early adult years. We have all the experts your family needs. We know how challenging and scary it can be to find a medical problem during pregnancy. Your family has a full team behind you, including doctors, nurses, lactation specialists and social workers.

We help you fully understand your treatment options and make the choices that are right for your family. We connect you to community resources and support groups.

We can help with financial counseling, schooling for other children in the family, housing, transportation, interpreter services and spiritual care.

Learn about our services for patients and families. Conjoined Twins Symptoms Conjoined twins may be connected to each other in many different ways.

Their health and any symptoms depend on: How each baby developed. Which structures they share. How well their organs work. Their lung development. Conjoined twins are usually born early and may have breathing problems. Doctors group conjoined twins into the following categories based on where they are joined. Diagnosing Conjoined Twins During pregnancy In most cases, doctors see that twins are conjoined during a routine ultrasound late in the first trimester of pregnancy or in the second trimester.

Creating a treatment plan Treatment for each set of twins is unique. Both children may have all the organs and other structures they need. They may share some structures or vital organs, like a heart. It may not be possible to separate the twins in all cases. Their bodies may be able to support both their lives, or it may be hard for 1 or both to survive because of health problems.

Surgery may be the best option: For the physical health of both children, while also giving them the chance to have independent bodies and lives Because 1 twin cannot survive because of a severe birth defect and separation is the only way to give the other twin a chance to live Usually, twins have separation surgery in the first 3 months to 12 months of life. Any procedures your babies may need to prepare them for separation. This makes it easier for doctors to do the surgery and easier for the twins to withstand the surgery.

Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Is there any way to prevent it before birth?

The short answer to this question is "No. But in order to fully address the issue of preventing conjoined twinning, it's important to understand a bit more about conjoined twins. This is a difficult question to answer without first looking at how and why conjoined twins happen. Conjoined twins are a type of monozygotic twins. That is, they originate as a single zygote that splits into two. A zygote is a fertilized egg.

They may share skin and tissue, or they may develop with shared organs and limbs. Conjoined twins are very rare, occurring in only 1 out of , live births. Conjoined twins may also share one or more internal organs.

Though many conjoined twins are not alive when born stillborn or die shortly after birth, advances in surgery and technology have improved survival rates. Some surviving conjoined twins can be surgically separated. The success of surgery depends on where the twins are joined and how many and which organs are shared, as well as the experience and skill of the surgical team.

There are no specific signs or symptoms that indicate a conjoined twin pregnancy. As with other twin pregnancies, the uterus may grow faster than with a single fetus, and there may be more fatigue, nausea and vomiting early in the pregnancy.

Conjoined twins can be diagnosed early in the pregnancy using standard ultrasound. Conjoined twins are typically classified according to where they're joined, usually at matching sites, and sometimes at more than one site. They sometimes share organs or other parts of their bodies. The specific anatomy of each pair of conjoined twins is unique. In rare cases, twins may be conjoined with one twin smaller and less fully formed than the other asymmetric conjoined twins.

In extremely rare cases, one twin may be found partially developed within the other twin fetus in fetu. Identical twins monozygotic twins occur when a single fertilized egg splits and develops into two individuals.

Eight to 12 days after conception, the embryonic layers that will split to form monozygotic twins begin to develop into specific organs and structures.

It's believed that when the embryo splits later than this — usually between 13 and 15 days after conception — separation stops before the process is complete, and the resulting twins are conjoined. An alternative theory suggests that two separate embryos may somehow fuse together in early development. Because conjoined twins are so rare, and the cause isn't clear, it's unknown what might make some couples more likely to have conjoined twins.

Pregnancy with conjoined twins is complex and greatly increases the risk of serious complications. Conjoined babies require surgical delivery by cesarean section C-section due to their anatomy.

As with twins, conjoined babies are likely to be born prematurely, and one or both could be stillborn or die shortly after birth. Severe health issues for twins can occur immediately — such as trouble breathing or heart problems — and later in life, such as scoliosis, cerebral palsy or learning disabilities.

Potential complications depend on where the twins are joined, which organs or other parts of the body they share, and the expertise and experience of the health care team.