How real is Vanishing Twin Syndrome in Savyasachi?
There is a Telugu movie titled Savyasachi, which shows something called Vanishing Twin Syndrome.
How real is the depiction of the disease? Is it possible to have the consciousness of a twin in another twin's body, reacting through any body part?
Best Answer
This particular film premise is fortunately in the realm of fantasy.
When googling one can find stories of a 'vanished' twin apparently coming back, very early within the pregnancy of various levels of survivability, (I found only cases of living but brain dead fetus')
However there are no documented cases of a vanished twin that wasn't fully absorbed in their twin or turned into fetus papyraceus, or some state in between. But rest assured, not alive enough to have thoughts and the ability to control body parts.
The premise is often confused with Split Brain Syndrome.
After the right and left brain are separated, each hemisphere will have its own separate perception, concepts, and impulses to act. Having two "brains" in one body can create some interesting dilemmas. When one split-brain patient dressed himself, he sometimes pulled his pants up with one hand (that side of his brain wanted to get dressed) and down with the other (this side did not). He also reported to have grabbed his wife with his left hand and shaken her violently, at which point his right hand came to her aid and grabbed the aggressive left hand. However, such conflicts are very rare. If a conflict arises, one hemisphere usually overrides the other.1
As a TV trope, however I would say this an Organ Autonomy trope.
This trope is for when parts of the body have "minds of their own" and will control or influence the brain of whomever they're attached to.
Pictures about "How real is Vanishing Twin Syndrome in Savyasachi?"
How common is twin vanishing syndrome?
Vanishing twin syndrome is evaluated to happen in 36% of twin pregnancies and in half of the pregnancies that begins with at least three or more gestational sacs.Is there such a thing as a vanishing twin?
One baby was miscarried during the pregnancy without the mothers or doctors knowing. Doctors called these cases vanishing twins or vanishing twin syndrome (VTS). The tissue from a vanishing twin is mostly reabsorbed by the mother's body and the remaining baby. Sometimes some evidence remains.What happens to the surviving twin in vanishing twin syndrome?
The fetal tissue from the vanishing twin is usually absorbed by the mother and the surviving baby. Rarely (if the loss happens after 12 weeks when bones are already formed), the fetus becomes flattened in the uterine membranes and is discovered during delivery.Can a vanishing twin survive?
The prognosis of the surviving twin is usually excellent, but this depends on the factors that contributed to the death of the other twin. If the twin dies in the second or third trimester, there are increased risks to the surviving fetus, including a higher rate of cerebral palsy.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA, EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA, Scott Webb, Binyamin Mellish