12 Fun Facts about Twins

I realized that this blog is entitled Preemie Twins and Me and I haven't done a lot of blogging about twins but overall parenting and taken care of infants. I have a lot of topics that I need to educate myself on and share to the audience such as, I am a new mom; whatever experience I have learned thus far, I must share, I am a mommy to infants who were born premature; I have to talk about my journey and share encouraging words to those in my shoes and most importantly I am a new mom of twins. In result, I have to learn about twins and share my experience in raising twins. This blog entry is for the multiples.

Interesting Facts About Twins

1. 22% of twins are left handed: I hope this works in my favor because I am left handed!

2. Rate of twin births vary by location: Certain parts the world have much higher rates of twin births than other places such as New Jersey or Connecticut has a 25% twin rate than the general population.

3. There are 7 different types of twins: Identical, fraternal, half-identical, mirror image twins, mixed chromosome twins, super fecundation and superfetation. Those other than identical and fraternal can be quite rare.

4. Twins do not have to be born on the same date: The longest recorded gap between twin births is 85 days. The can happen when one twin is born just before midnight and the other after or where there is a longer gap, one twin is born early due to complications while the other is left in the womb to develop further.

Mya and Milani's hole in their ear

5. Twins do not have to have the same father: I saw this on Maury where the father was the found to be the dad of one twin but not the other. This is called hetero paternal super fecundation. This is when a women releases multiple eggs, each fertilized by sperm from separate instances of sexual intercourse.

6. 25% of identical twins are called mirror image twins: For example, if one twin has mole on the left side of her face, the other will have the mole on the right side of her face. However, my twins are fraternal and one has a whole on the top left ear and the other has a hole on the top right ear.

7. Twins have their own secret language: The term is Ideoglossia. Once twins learn to talk, they mispronounce words but because their other half is capable of recognizing and understanding those words, it seems as if they have their own language. Some say that twins secret language is a myth but being a parent of twins, I think it is true.

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen

8. Fraternal twins are much more common than identical twins: Did you know Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen are fraternal twins? Go figure.

9. Once a women has had fraternal twins, she is three to four times more likely to have another set!

10. Twins share DNA, but it is not identical. 

11. Twins can have different gestational age: Fraternal twins specifically, fertilization doesn't always have to happen at the same time. Fraternal twins is the product of releasing two eggs within the same cycle, however, the eggs are not necessarily released on the same day; one egg may be fertilized days or even weeks before the other, thus causing a slight difference in age and development between the twins.

Couple in North Carolina who gave birth to twins with a combined birth weight of 23lbs

12. The heaviest combined birth weight of any set of twins is a whopping 27lbs and 12oz: The heaviest birth weight was born to Mrs. J.P. Haskin of Arkansas, on February 20 1924. Recently a women in North Carolina gave birth to twins with a combined birth weight of 23lbs! (Picture)


Do you know any more facts about twins? Share!