More than half of twins are born weighing less than 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg), while the average birth weight of a healthy baby should be around 6–8 pounds (3–4 kg). This is largely due to the fact that twins are typically born premature. Premature birth and low birth weights, especially when under 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg), can increase the risk of several health-related issues, such as vision and hearing loss, mental disabilities, and cerebral palsy. There is an increased possibility of potential complications as the birth weight of the baby decreases. Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome
Monozygotic twins who share a placenta can develop twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. This condition means that blood from one twin is being diverted into the other twin. One twin, the donor twin, is small and anemic, the other, the recipient twin, is large and polycythemic. The lives of both twins are endangered by this condition. Stillbirths
Stillbirths occurs when a fetus dies after 20 weeks of gestation. There are two types of stillbirth, including intrauterine death and intrapartum death. Intrauterine death occurs when a baby dies during late pregnancy. Intrapartum death, which is more common, occurs when a baby dies while the mother is giving birth. The cause of stillbirth is often unknown, but the rate of babies who are stillborn is higher in twins and multiple births. Caesareans or inductions are advised after 38 weeks of pregnancy for twins, because the risk of stillbirth increases after this time.
Pulmonary vein stenosis is a rare cardiovascular disorder. It is recognized as being the stenosis of one or more of the four pulmonary veins that return blood from the lungs to the left atrium of the heart. In congenital cases, it is associated with poor prognosis and high mortality rate. In some people, pulmonary vein stenosis occurs after pulmonary vein ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation. Some recent research has indicated that it may be genetically linked in congenital cases. == References ==