AP: Study Shows Fraternal Twins Can Share Placenta

[Nick Theodorakis]

From an Associated Press report:

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Study Shows Fraternal Twins Can Share Placenta

Linda A. Johnson
Associated Press
Wednesday, July 9, 2003; 5:02 PM

Contradicting nearly all the medical textbooks, doctors have proven
for the first time that fraternal, or nonidentical, twins can share a
placenta.

Until now, doctors believed that only identical twins -- which come
from a single, split embryo -- can share a placenta, the mass of
tissue inside the uterus that delivers nourishment to the fetus via
the umbilical cord.

In Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, doctors at the
University of Washington in Seattle reported that a 48-year-old woman
gave birth about two years ago to male and female twins nourished by
the same placenta. Each baby had his or her own umbilical cord and
amniotic sac.

.. . . .

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For more, see, e.g.:

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34108-2003Jul9.html?nav=hptoc_h>

Nick

--
Nick Theodorakis

[H Schinske]

wrote:

>In Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, doctors at the
>University of Washington in Seattle reported that a 48-year-old woman
>gave birth about two years ago to male and female twins nourished by
>the same placenta. Each baby had his or her own umbilical cord and
>amniotic sac.

Huh. I wonder how they proved it wasn't two fused placentas? Was it the
bloodwork? Because, as most of you have heard, I have a lab report saying that
my fraternal twins shared a placenta (which I have always dismissed as meaning
the lab tech was incompetent), and they have different blood types, so I should
think if they really had shared a placenta it would have been a serious
problem.

I'm sure my case is just like those that were previously dismissed as being
insufficient evidence (and quite rightly so!).

--Helen