Three weeks ago we explained the strange case of a girl who had inside her sister's fetus. I thought it would be difficult for news to come about equally surprising pregnancies and yet it has happened: An American woman she got pregnant, a few months ago, already being pregnant previously.
Her name is Julia Grovenburg and she is pregnant with about six months of her first baby and just over five months of the second baby. Everything happened when, at the time of the control ultrasound at eight weeks, it was observed that there were two babies with an obvious difference in size that suggested that the conception of the second baby had occurred two and a half weeks after the first.
This phenomenon is called superfetation, which according to Wikipedia is the "Successful fertilization of the same egg released during the evolution of pregnancy that results in the conception of twins of different gestational age". Something like returning to ovulate despite being pregnant and that egg is fertilized.
The superfetation It is more frequent in animals than in humans, where most cases are associated with fertility treatments. As mentioned, only one case is diagnosed per year worldwide.
At the time the babies are born, more studies will be carried out to try to clarify what happened, however it is possible that a conclusion cannot be reached, because it is possible that it really is not a case of superfetation and that the two babies are non-identical twins with a marked growth difference (which could mean that one of the two is not developing as well as it should).
The probable date of delivery for the older baby corresponds at the end of this year, and at the beginning of 2010 is when the other would have to be born. I say I would have because as the professionals who are controlling pregnancy have commented both will be born at the same time, either by vaginal delivery, or by caesarean section.
