All babies are adorable, but twins have that special something about them that makes heads turn every time they pass. Twins are one of nature's wonders. It is amazing that there can be two individuals born at the same time, who are the spitting images of each other, and may even display similar personality traits. Twins have been the subject of innumerable scientific studies and psychological experiments and have provided invaluable data for the endless nature versus nurture question. And of course, they have been the subject of innumerable books and they have fascinated scriptwriters who have churned out hundreds of films whose plots have turned on mistaken identity.
The biology of twins
So how do we explain the twin phenomenon? If you didn't know, there are two types of twins - identical and fraternal. Identical twins are also called monozygotic, meaning one egg. They have identical genes and are always of the same sex. Fraternal twins are called dizygotic or two egg. They share approximately 25 percent of their genes, as do any two brothers or sisters. One-half of fraternal twin pairs are boy-girl, one-quarter are boy-boy, and one-quarter are girl-girl.
Identical twins are the result of one egg joining with one sperm to form the zygote. The zygote then completely splits. This two-cell mass passes down the Fallopian tube and attaches separately or together in the womb. The developing embryo is surrounded by a sack of two layers of thin tissue called membranes: an amniotic membrane (amnion) and around that a chorionic membrane (chorion). If the zygote splits early (1 to 3 days after fertilization), each embryo will have a separate chorion and amnion. The later the zygote splits after ovulation, that is at 4 to 8 days, the greater the likelihood of the embryos sharing one chorion. If the zygote splits after 8 days, the amnion may also be shared. But if the zygote splits after 14 days, the twins may be joined together at some part of their bodies and are called conjoined or Siamese twins.In the case of fraternal twins, two separate fertilizations occur simultaneously between two sperm and two separate eggs.
Fraternal or identical?
Vaginal delivery is often possible, especially when the babies are in the head-down position. Sometimes one monozygotic twin transfers too much blood to the other, leaving the first twin anemic and small and the second ruddy and large. This can only happen to monozygotic twins, and only when they share chorions. That's why the term "identical" can be misleading, since monozygotic twins may differ because one of them has a birth defect or there may be a difference in their blood quantity. Bowed legs and bent ankles may occur in twins due to the crowding in the womb. However, these problems usually disappear completely as time passes.
It is important to determine whether your twins are identical or fraternal right at the time of birth. The best time to do this is right after the delivery. If the sexes differ, the twins are dizygotic. If they're the same sex, the obstetrician, after carefully examining the placenta, will send it to the pathologist for detailed study. If there is only one shared chorion, they are monozygotic twins. If there are two chorions, then they may be monozygotic or dizygotic, and a simple blood test can be done to compare blood cell groups. If red blood cell groups differ, then the twins are dizygotic.
Monozygotic twins who differ in size may have birth defects. Identifying monozygotic twins at birth is important because it can improve medical care throughout life. For example, if one monozygotic twin develops a disease such as diabetes or epilepsy, the second twin has a higher than average chance of getting the same disease and should be carefully checked. Also, the behavioural development of monozygotic and dizygotic twins differs, which is important in parenting. Generally, identical twins have closer relationships than fraternal and they are more cooperative. Fraternal twins, on the other hand, develop their individuality easier because of clearer physical, emotional, and genetic differences.
Name:
rashmi,
Country: India
i am mother of indentical twin daughters and loving this
Name:
praveen,
Country: India
hello
i m mother of twins faternal girls 0f 3 yeras and feel happy being mother of twins. they quarrel but love also and cannot live without each other. both arte very naughty and very lovely.
Name:
Bailey Milliken,
Country: Other
help i'm pregnant
Name:
Natalie,
Country: Australia
i have twins and i love it. they are a bit more work but they are so much more fun and joy. i feel so proud to say i have twins.
Name:
Aryan,
Country: India
hi salima,its great knowing u have twins. are they boys or girls. i am father of twin girls who are going to complete 2 years on 21st september. i too feel different of being dad of twins as compared to single-kid-dads. well,i would say twins are double the fun with double the hardwork. seeing them quarrel and play with each other is really spectacular. tell ur experiences abou raising them.
Name:
catherine,
Country: Other
hello,i am mom of 20 month old identical boys,not to mention a seven month old and an eight year old and they are all boys,lots of laughs along with alot of tears.it is hard ,but i believe we were blessed.
Name:
leah,
Country: Canada
i have fraternal twin girls,they are now 2.god help me through these stressfull years.good luck to yall.
Name:
Amanda,
Country: Canada
hi i am a mother of 2 year old twin boys i also have a six year old daughter. having twins has been an expierence of a lifetime. my husband being away for work weeks at a time i am the only parental influence and i find it very hard
Name:
rtipps,
Country: USA
what are the chance of identical twins having the same sex offspring the first time?
Name:
Coretta,
Country: USA
i have 2 year old twin girls, who are identical and they are a trip. they both talk plenty of trash, but the youngest twin talks the most. they are a joy and a handful. good luck to all new mothers who are just starting out.
Name:
aylin,
Country: Other
hi
iam a mother of twins 1year old girl and a boy.
it is a great feeling to have twins. i am so happy. turkey istanbul
Name:
ruchi,
Country: USA
hi
i am mother of twins.one boy-girl.its very tough can u give me some best ideas for feeding sleeping.they r 7 months old. u can email me at ruchshah@aol.com thanks
Name:
the Dude,
Country: USA
hi all parents of twins. i am an expectant father of twins and am very anxious yet nervous. i have never been around newborn babies really, so i have lots to learn. whew! thank goodness for sites like this to share ideas/views and to read up on more good suggestions about raising twins.
Name:
nomi,
Country: England
nomi is expecting quads after her 1st time help us wot shall i do!!!!!!!???????
troy was the father
Name:
sarah,
Country: England
i have identical twin cousins so does my best m8.
we r dead proud of them as they all get along gr8
Name:
kristen,
Country: USA
i have boy/girl twins that are now 6 months. my husband is away 28 out of 30 days a month. i also have two other children ages 14 and 6. it is exhausting and lonely even though i know i have been blessed with a wonderful family. i need to join a club of other busy mom's of twins. any suggestions??
Name:
nomi,
Country: England
nomi is expecting quads after her 1st time help us wot shall i do!!!!!!!???????
troy was the father
Name:
Peter Pan,
Country: Netherlands
i'm peter pan from neverland and the netherlands are the closest i could get! i don't have children because i'll never grow up.
Name:
ivanna humpalot,
Country: Zambia
when i was giving birth to my first twins, my husband fainted 3 times and stayed in hospital longer than i did!
Name:
Betty Lou,
Country: Mauritius
there are actually three types of twins. i would know because i have all three.
Name:
Diane Fisher, Ph.D.,
Country: USA
fraternal twins share an average of 50% of their genes, as do all non-identical siblings (not 25%, as the article states). they have a 25% chance of sharing a gene from their father, and a 25% chance of sharing a gene from their mother, so that adds up to a 50% of their genes being shared.
Name:
Carla,
Country: USA
i have fraternal twin boys who just turned 2 and a 3 month old. it is hard at first but you get used to it. i wouldn't have it any other way. i enjoy watching my twins grow and watch them become individuals.
Name:
Allison,
Country: USA
i had such a rough time with my twins at first. my oldest (by 2 mins) was in the nicu for 2 months and my smallest, for one. my advice to new twin parents is to be very careful with them once they're home cause you don't want to have them rehospiitalized with something like rsv.
Name:
Marces Sadler,
Country: USA
i am really glad that i got a twin because he can read my mind sometimes.
Name:
Mayra,
Country: USA
it's a blessing from god to have twins. my first pregnancy was with twins. i found out when i was four months pregnant and almost lost it. god gives you the patience to deal. to me it's the same as having one baby you only have to do everything twice. it's wounderful, my son and daughter are nine years old now and i have a two and a half year old son. god bless.
