 The tragedy
of TTTS is that there are two babies (at least) who begin
the pregnancy healthy, without genetic defects, who suffer
consequences related to their placenta type.
The historic
twin survival rate with chronic TTTS was less than 10% before
doctors could make the diagnosis in the womb by ultrasound.
With the introduction of ultrasound (in 1980), the survival
odds greatly improved because treatment of the TTTS was now
made possible while the mother was still pregnant (see
Warning Signs for the babies).
The excess
amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios) would cause over distention
of the uterus, and pregnancy loss occurred when the mother
went into premature labor or the baby's bag of water broke.
In some
circumstances the recipient twin my pass away (from heart
failure due to the excess blood), or in other cases the donor
(from the loss of blood or having a placental share too small
to receive the necessary nutrients). This sometimes made the
situation better for the other twin, but in half of the cases
the other twin also passed away or survived with severe birth
defects.
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