Twin Related Medical Terms
Medical Terms & References
| Amniotic Sac | The Sac in which the fetus develops |
| Amniocentesis | Medical Procedure used to diagnose chromosomal or genetic abnormalities |
| Caesarean Section (C-Section) | Surgical procedure for delivering a baby by incision into the woman’s abdomen and uterus. |
| Chorion | Outer Lining of the Sac in which the developing fetus is held |
| Conjoined Twins | Identical Twins whose bodies are joined together due to incomplete separation |
| Diamniotic Twins | Twins who have developed in separate Amniotic Sacs |
| Dichorionic Twins | Twins who develop in separate chorionic sacs |
| Dizygotic Twins | Fraternal Twins. Twins which happen when two different eggs join two different sperms |
| Embryo | A developing baby during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy |
| Epidural | Method of anaesthesia administered by injection at the base of the spinal cord |
| Fraternal Twins | Dizygotic Twins. Twins who happen when two separate eggs join two separate sperms |
| Identical Twins | Twins which occur from a single egg joining a single sperm and then dividing into two after joining. Also known as Monozygotic Twins. |
| IVF In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer |
Assisted method of conception |
| Intrauterine Growth Retardation |
Impeded or delayed fetal development |
| Higher Order Multiples | The term for Triplets, quadruplets, quintuplets, sextuplets and so on. |
| Monoamniotic Twins | Twins who have developed in a single amniotic sac. |
| Monochorionic Twins | Twins who have developed in a single chorionic sac. |
| Monozygotic Twins | Identical Twins. Twins formed from a single zygote. |
| Multiple Pregnancy | A Pregnancy with more than one fetus |
| NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) |
Hospital Unit specialising in the care of seriously ill newborn babies and premature babies. |
| Oxytocin | Hormone used to induce labour |
| Placenta | The placenta develops from the same egg and sperm cells that form the fetus and is a functioning organ from which the fetus receives oxygen, nutrients and antibodies. |
| Premature/Preterm Birth | When a baby is born earlier than 37 weeks gestation although 37 weeks is often thought of as term for a multiple pregnancy. |
| Preclampsia | A medical condition where hypertension arises during pregnancy associated with significant amounts of protein in the urine. |
| SCBU Special Care Baby Unit |
A unit with the NICU for premature or low birth weight babies |
| Stillbirth | A baby born at 20 weeks gestation or more showing no signs of life. |
| TTTS (Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome) |
Disease of the placenta affecting the distribution of blood from one fetus to the other. |
| VBAC | Vaginal Birth after Caesarean |
| Vanishing Twin Syndrome | Unexplained loss of one fetus during the first trimester of a multiple pregnancy |
