Singer Jesy Nelson recently shared an emotional update regarding the complications she is experiencing in her pregnancy with twin babies. Former Little Mix singer Jesy, who is having twins with partner Zion Foster, announced that she has been diagnosed with pre-twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (pre-TTTS). The condition, which is present in pregnancies involving twins with a shared placenta, has serious risks involved and needs intense medical supervision. As Nelson embarks on this difficult journey, her story enlightens us about a rare but dangerous condition many expectant parents may not know much about.
Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome is a rare but dangerous condition that arises in monochorionic twin pregnancies, in which identical twins share a single placenta. The placenta supplies the developing babies with oxygen, nutrients, and blood flow, but in TTTS, there is an imbalance of blood vessels that interconnect the twins, and thus the vital resources are not evenly distributed. One twin, or the donor twin, shares excess blood with the other, referred to as the recipient twin. This leads to one baby becoming malnourished and possibly anemic, and the other in danger of heart problems due to too much blood.
Nelson described her diagnosis in a heartfelt Instagram video, explaining that she is currently in the pre-stage of TTTS and undergoing frequent monitoring. "I am being scanned twice a week, and each time, things have gotten a little worse," she shared, expressing her fears and hopes for the health of her babies.
If left untreated, TTTS can have devastating consequences. Medical research indicates that:
TTTS usually advances in stages, beginning with minimal changes in fluid levels and worsening as one twin continues to get an unequal share of blood. In extreme cases, fetal laser surgery, referred to as the Solomon technique, can be employed to divide the blood vessels and balance the twins.
Identical twins may develop differently, and their own unique form of placental sharing can have a dramatic effect on pregnancy risk. Jesy Nelson's twins are considered monochorionic diamniotic (mono/di), which means they share a placenta but have two amniotic sacs. This is the type of pregnancy in about 70% of identical twin pregnancies and carries an increased risk of complications like TTTS, umbilical cord entanglement, and growth restriction.
Conversely, dichorionic diamniotic (di/di) twins both have a separate placenta and amniotic sac, which greatly diminishes the threat of TTTS. Twin pregnancy type is normally identified by early ultrasound, with physicians being able to track future complications from inception.
Twin pregnancies, even without the presence of TTTS, entail a variety of health risks to the mother as well as infants:
Over 60% of twin pregnancies end in premature delivery, with birth usually taking place before 37 weeks. Premature infants can have immature organs and need neonatal intensive care (NICU) assistance to assist with breathing, feeding, and infection fighting.
Pregnant women with multiples are at increased risk of having high blood pressure during pregnancy. This, if left untreated, can result in preeclampsia, a serious complication of pregnancy that can result in damage to organs, preterm labor, and in some cases, maternal or fetal death.
Pregnant women carrying multiples are twice as likely to experience anemia, a condition where the body does not produce enough healthy red blood cells. This can lead to fatigue, dizziness, and complications during delivery.
According to John Hopkins Medicine, multiple birth babies are twice as likely to have congenital abnormalities compared to single births. These can include heart defects, neural tube defects, and gastrointestinal issues.
When twins have to share a placenta, they are more likely to have polyhydramnios (excess amniotic fluid) or oligohydramnios (not enough amniotic fluid). Both result in distress to the babies during fetal development and can result in premature labor.
Twins are at increased risk of excessive postpartum hemorrhage because their uterus is larger and there are greater blood supply needs.
Jesy Nelson's openness about her challenging experience is raising awareness for TTTS, a condition that few individuals—let alone expectant mothers and fathers—might be aware of. Through her tearful video, Nelson stressed the significance of knowing about twin pregnancies aside from the thrill of having multiples. "We had no idea that this type of thing occurs when you're having twins. We just desperately want to make people aware of this because there are so many people who aren't aware."
Her case reminds us of the intricacies involved in twin pregnancy and the significance of early identification and medical management. For mothers carrying twins, frequent ultrasounds and vigilance can become a life-and-death issue for early detection and better outcomes of both babies.
Through constant medical attention and care, she and her partner Zion Foster remain positive and get ready for their babies to be born. In other parents whose situations are no different, the story of Nelson highlights awareness, medical progress, and emotional encouragement in handling complicated pregnancies.
The expecting parents of twin siblings are advised to discuss TTTS screening and possible interventions with their physicians to give their babies the best chance.
Credit: AI
Artificial intelligence has steadily been becoming a bigger part of the healthcare sector. One of the biggest examples is ChatGPT.
Open AI recently begun rolling out Health in ChatGPT to eligible users in the United States, allowing people to securely connect medical records, Apple Health data, and other supported health sources directly to ChatGPT.
The feature aims to help users in understanding their lab reports better, document their medical history, prepare for doctor visits, and gauge complex medical information.
While it promises convenience and personalised health insights, it has also sparked concerns about privacy, data security, and how much trust people should place in AI for healthcare decisions.
It is currently available on the web and iOS for eligible Free, Go, Plus, and Pro users in the US, with the rollout happening gradually.
Once connected, users can ask questions such as:
Instead of uploading reports every time, ChatGPT can use connected health information, with the user’s permission, to provide more personalized explanations.
Also read: AIIMS Doctor Issues Warning After Patient Follows ChatGPT Advice, Suffers Internal Bleeding
According to the company, “Health is designed to support; not replace, medical care and is not intended for final diagnosis or treatment. For urgent symptoms or emergencies, seek immediate professional help.”
The company also states, “Conversations in Health are not used to train our foundation models.”
Users can disconnect connected accounts whenever they choose. OpenAI says synced data from disconnected sources is deleted from its systems within 30 days, although information already included in conversation history remains unless users delete those chats.
Medical records often contain technical terminology that patients struggle to interpret.
AI can translate complicated reports into simpler language that laymen can understand.
Patients can review previous reports, organise symptoms, and prepare questions before appointments, making doctor visits more productive.
People often have information spread across hospital portals, physical files, wearable devices, and fitness apps.
ChatGPT can combine these sources to identify patterns over time, like changes in sleep, physical activity, or important bio markers.
Rather than searching through multiple reports manually, users can quickly compare test results or check long-term changes with simple prompts.
Also read: Man Falls Ill After Seeking ChatGPT Advice on Cutting Salt
Despite the advantages, experts caution against relying too heavily on AI for healthcare.
Although OpenAI has introduced additional security measures, users are still sharing extremely sensitive personal health information with an AI platform.
Some AI privacy experts argue that any cloud-based storage of medical information is risky.
ChatGPT can explain information but may misunderstand context, overlook rare conditions, or generate inaccurate answers.
OpenAI clearly states that the feature must not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
The launch comes amid renewed scrutiny over AI-generated medical advice.
A recently filed lawsuit alleges that a user delayed seeking emergency treatment after relying on ChatGPT’s health guidance.
While the allegations are still part of ongoing legal proceedings, the case has intensified discussions about the limitations of AI in healthcare.
If your goal is to better understand your lab reports, organise medical information, or prepare for doctor consultations, ChatGPT Health could become a useful health assistant.
However, if you are expecting AI to diagnose illnesses, decide treatments, or replace healthcare professionals, experts say that would be a mistake.
Healthcare decisions often depend on physical examinations, medical history, imaging, and clinical judgment, areas where AI cannot replace qualified doctors.
Credit: AI
The human brain may begin undergoing important immune changes much earlier than previously thought. A recent study found that these changes could help explain why the risk of dementia increases with age.
Researchers found that the hippocampus, the brain region responsible for learning and memory, experiences a major shift in its immune cells during the 40s and 50s.
The findings suggest that this change could lead to chronic inflammation associated with Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia in the future .
The study, conducted by scientists from the University of California San Diego, the New York Genome Center, and the University of California Irvine, analysed postmortem hippocampal tissue from 40 neurologically healthy adults aged between 20 and 95 years.
Researchers examined more than 1.2 million brain cells, discovering that around midlife, the brain's immune environment changes dramatically.
One of the biggest findings involved microglia, the brain's resident immune cells. While these cells normally protect the brain by clearing debris, fighting infections, and supporting neurons, researchers observed that they gradually shift into a more inflammatory state during middle age.
This altered immune environment resembles patterns commonly seen in neurodegenerative diseases like dementia.
Scientists have long known that aging is the strongest risk factor for dementia. However, exactly how normal aging causes diseases like Alzheimer's has remained vague.
The new findings suggest that the process may begin decades before symptoms like memory loss appear.
Instead of viewing aging as a slow, continuous process, the study indicates that the brain may pass through a distinct biological transition during midlife.
Once this immune environment changes, it may make the brain more vulnerable to inflammation and cognitive decline.
Richard J. Hodes, MD, Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), said, "Aging is the single largest risk factor for dementia, but our understanding of how it drives disease is still incomplete. This previously hidden microglial shift, now uncovered by innovations in technology and thinking, may be an important clue to help us complete the puzzle."
The researchers also believe these immune changes may not simply be a consequence of aging but could actively influence how the brain ages.
Also read: Can One Partner's Dementia Raise the Other's Risk? New Study Suggests An Interesting Link
Although the findings do not mean that everyone in their 40s or 50s will develop dementia, they provide researchers with a potential window for clinical intervention.
If scientists can identify or modify these immune changes before significant brain damage occurs, future therapies may be able to delay or even prevent neurodegenerative diseases.
Experts continue to recommend:
These lifestyle measures are already known to reduce several risk factors associated with dementia, and the new findings suggest they may be particularly important during the brain's midlife transition.
Credit: AI
A six-year-old girl in China died after receiving an experimental gene-editing treatment for a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. The incident sparked scrutiny on ethics and safety of cutting-edge gene therapies, particularly when they involve children and individualized treatments.
The case, uncovered through a joint investigation by Science and Retraction Watch, sparked international concern as the child's death was never disclosed publicly, despite related preclinical research later being published in Nature.
According to the investigation, the six-year-old girl, identified by the pseudonym "Mei," had Snijders Blok-Campeau syndrome, a rare genetic condition. It caused symptoms like mild intellectual disability and developmental delays.
Her parents reportedly paid more than $800,000 to support development of a personalized ("n=1") gene-editing therapy designed specifically for their daughter's mutation.
In March 2025, she received a spinal infusion containing trillions of adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) carrying a CRISPR-based gene editor intended to correct the faulty gene in brain cells. Within days, she developed a severe immune reaction and died approximately one week after treatment.
An internal hospital review concluded that the most likely cause of death was an overwhelming immune response triggered by the viral delivery system rather than the gene-editing mechanism itself.
The controversy extends well beyond the patient's death. According to Science investigation:
Following the investigation, local Chinese health authorities reportedly fined the hospital involved for faulty execution of the clinical research. Several experts have called for an independent review of the published research and greater transparency around experimental human gene-editing trials.
Bioethicists and gene therapy researchers say the case underscores the need for complete transparency whenever experimental therapies are tested on humans.
Hank Greely, director of the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford University, told Science that the trial "shouldn't have gone to trial".
Pediatrician Marcelo Bellusci, who participates in gene therapy trials, told El País, "In this type of trial there can be serious side effects, but families are always informed about them. This team skipped the current rules."
Gene-editing technologies such as CRISPR offer the possibility of correcting genetic mutations caused by diseases instead of simply treating symptoms. Several CRISPR-based therapies have shown remarkable success in inherited blood disorders, including sickle cell disease.
However, experts stress that therapies targeting the brain remain considerably more complex because they often require large viral doses and carry greater risks of immune complications.
As more individualized gene-editing therapies move toward human testing, experts argue that every serious adverse event must be reported promptly to regulators, journals, clinicians, and patients to ensure future treatments become both safer and more trustworthy.
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