Sophisticated ultrasound equipment can detect a problem with identical twins early enough in the pregnancy to give the mother several treatment options. Occasionally, babies share a placenta, a condition that can cause an imbalance in blood volume. Without intervention, neither is likely to survive, according to Ronald Thomas, M.D., director of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital.
A laser procedure that destroys many of the common blood vessels in the placenta is one option available at certain hospitals, one of which is in Chicago. "With early detection and aggressive treatment, there is now a 70 to 75 percent survival rate for babies with this problem where, before, there was nothing we could do," Dr. Thomas said.
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Last Updated: February 09, 2009