Vanishing Twin Syndrome: The former Love Island contestant Olivia Bowen has recently shared a pregnancy update, following her post about her struggles to grapple with the reality that she will no longer be having twins, but just one healthy young baby. Within a few weeks of her sharing her twin pregnancy with her fans, she followed up with another post where she broke the devastating news of finding only one baby in the womb.In the caption she said, “The crazy sickness, the biggest surprise of our lives finding out we were having twins, imagining our lives with two new babies, then the complete heartache of dealing with vanishing twin syndrome & losing one of our babies”. However, as devastating as the news may be, it is important to note that this is a more common occurrence than people realize. The National Institute of Health, US, statistics show that half of the pregnancies with three gestational sacs go through it and 36% of twin pregnancies also experience this. But what exactly is Vanishing Twin Syndrome?Also Read: Walking Dead Actress Kelley Mack Dies At 33 After Battling Glioma What Is Vanishing Twin Syndrome? According to the American Pregnancy Association vanishing twin syndrome was first recognized in 1945. It's what happens when one of two or more babies in a pregnancy dies in the womb. The other twin, the placenta, or the mother's body then absorbs the dead baby's tissue. This makes it look like one of the babies has "vanished." Thanks to early ultrasounds, doctors can now spot this more often. It's believed that vanishing twin syndrome happens in about 21-30% of pregnancies with more than one baby. Causes and Signs of Vanishing Twin Syndrome Most of the time, doctors don't know exactly why vanishing twin syndrome happens. However, they've found that the baby who is lost often had chromosomal problems, while the surviving twin is usually healthy. It seems these problems are there from the very beginning of the pregnancy. Another possible cause is that the umbilical cord didn't attach correctly. The signs of a possible vanishing twin syndrome usually happen early in the first trimester. They can include: BleedingCramping in the uterusPain in the pelvisResearch shows that this syndrome is more common in women over the age of 30.How Does The Vanishing Twin Syndrome Affect The Mother And Baby? If a twin is lost in the first three months of pregnancy, the surviving baby and the mother are usually fine. The living twin's chances of being healthy are very good. If a twin is lost in the second or third trimester, there can be more risks for the surviving baby, including a higher chance of developing cerebral palsy. In these cases, the dead twin's body can get flattened by the pressure of the growing, healthy twin. At birth, doctors might find this flattened twin, which they call fetus compressus or fetus papyraceous. How Do You Diagnoses Vanishing Twin Syndrome? In the past, doctors could only figure out if a twin had died by looking at the placenta after the baby was born. Now, an early ultrasound can show twins in the first trimester. A later ultrasound might then show that one of the babies is no longer there. For example, a woman might see two heartbeats at 7 weeks but only one at her next visit. If a twin is lost in the first trimester, no special medical care is usually needed for the mother or the surviving baby. However, if the death happens in the second or third trimester, the pregnancy may be treated as high-risk. If you are pregnant and experience bleeding, cramping, or pelvic pain, you should see a doctor. An ultrasound will help them determine if a fetus is still viable before considering any procedures.