Are twins connected telepathically? Well, no one really knows for sure but many twins find it difficult to sleep when the other twin is awake even when they are a huge distance apart. That is because twins are connected in ways that science cannot explain. Most of the myths that people believe about twins are not true though. For example, it is perfectly normal for twins to be born without a C section being involved. Identical twins also have certain physical features that are different that people rarely look at. Now, there are still lots of interesting facts about twins and these 10 are just next level amazing.
The Vanishing Twin Syndrome
The vanishing twin syndrome is actually more common than initially thought with recent research suggesting that up to 30% of pregnancies involving multiple embryos involve a vanishing twin. It all happens when one or more of the embryos developing in the womb disappear and the tissue is eaten up by the mother and the developing embryo. It is referred to as a type of miscarriage but its effects may last for longer than a miscarriage since the surviving fetus may be born with one or more organs belonging to the twin that disappeared. In one instance, it caused a mother to be the aunt of her own babies since she had ovaries belonging to her vanished twin.
Taller Women Are More Likely To Have Twins
This is one of the most interesting reasons about why some women are more likely to have twins than others. A 2006 study in the US discovered that women that had multiples averaged an inch taller than the rest of the mothers. It is believed to be caused by something called Insulin Growth Factor (IGF) which is higher in taller women and which causes them to have higher sensitivity in their ovaries. Mothers who are breastfeeding also have high ovary sensitivity and therefore more likely to have twins.
Twins May Have Different Birthdays
On New Year’s day in 2022, a twin was born with a different birthday and birth year from its other twin which has an odd of about one in two million. Now, these twins were born just 15 minutes apart and this was totally normal. Most twins are born an average of 17 minutes apart and therefore tend to have the same birthday. However, some twins may be born days or even months apart since they don’t develop at the same pace. The world record for twins born the longest time apart is 87 days.
Nigeria Is The Most Twinned Country In The World
In the US, the state of Massachusetts holds the record for having the most twin babies at a rate of 4.5 per 100 live births. However, Nigeria which is also the most populous country in Africa also happens to have the highest rate of twin births at about 4% of all the births nationally. The Yoruba tribe is the leading one in the country in the number of identical twins and the town of Igbo Ora is believed to be the twin capital of the world. The community says that their many twin births are because of the bitter okra leaf they eat.
40% Develop Their Own Language
Twins start bonding in the womb at about 14 weeks of pregnancy which is why their connection lasts their lifetimes. They have been observed to seek out each other in the womb long before they are born and appear to develop some form of communication. After being born, 40% of twins come up with their own autonomous language. They mostly develop the language when they are learning to speak as they come up with their own understanding of things.
Mirror Twins
When people think of twins, they only imagine identical and fraternal twins. There are more types of twins than those two though. One of the least known types are mirror twins who tend to be identical but opposite of one another. You may find one is right-handed and the other is left-handed. They may also have identifying features such as hairs and birthmarks on the exact opposite sides of the body.
Identical Twins Have Different Fingerprints
It is true that identical twins have 99.9% DNA match which is basically the closest similarity in DNA any human can have with another, However, there are features that are not the same even in identical twins and one of them happens to be their fingerprints.
The Can Have Different Dads
Yes, you could be twins sharing three different parents and that is just one of the most interesting medical facts ever. It happens when the mother has intercourse with two different men while having two fertile eggs in her womb and they both get fertilized.
They May Have Different Skin Colors
Fraternal twins are the most common type of twin in the world and they come in different shapes, sizes and colours. They occur when a mother releases two different eggs which get fertilized and develop concurrently. It results in babies with different features which can include different skin colours if the father and mother don’t share race.
Identical Twins Don’t Run In The Family
It is true that if you are a fraternal twin, you are four times more likely to give birth to twins yourself. That character doesn’t apply to identical twins though. Fraternal twins happen when the mother releases more than one egg and that may be part of one’s DNA and therefore runs in the mother’s side of the family. Only 25% of twins are identical and they happen when an embryo splits and develops two different babies. Now, that trait doesn’t run in the DNA and so there is no guarantee that identical twins will give birth to more identical twins.
Are you a twin? Do you know any other facts about twins? If you do why not tell us about them in the comments below.
