Both results were statistically significant. Moms of twins also were older at the time of their last birth. The age at last birth averaged 39.7 years for women born before 1870, and 36.2 years for women born during 1870-1899. Moms of twins had their last births 4.8 months later and 14 months later, respectively.
Longer lives
When analyzing the data by gender, the researchers found that female identical twins lived, on average, about 63.4 years, whereas female fraternal twins lived about 61.4 years and the general Danish female population lived about 58.8 years, Sharrow said.
They're also more likely to have health problems later in life, like high blood pressure. More than half of twins and nearly all higher order multiples weigh less than they should at birth.
M others of twins may have double the trouble but they live longer and are physically stronger than women who have single babies, according to a study of almost 59,000 women. It also shows they have longer reproductive life spans, have more children overall and need less time to recover between pregnancies.
Mixed-gender twins are the most common type of fraternals, some 50 percent are boy-girl. To understand this combination: Males have XY chromosomes, females have XX chromosomes. You have a girl twin when the father's X chromosome combines with the mother's X chromosome.
It's equally unsurprising that a Danish study found that twins are less likely to get married than non-twins. As twins have a partner from birth, the study suggests that they may not have the same desire for marriage as singletons.
The quick answer to this question is that, in a twin pregnancy, it is the mother's genes that determine twins. First up, giving birth to identical twins is not genetic, but conceiving fraternal twins is. The mother may have the genetic trait of releasing two eggs in one menstrual cycle.
The hardest thing about having twins is...
“Managing the movement of two babies. Carrying them both up and down the stairs, getting them into the car, etc.” —Simeon R. “Often having to make one baby wait!” —Catharine D. “Being outnumbered—the logistics of two on one is definitely the hardest.
Some say that twins are always hard (yet amazing), while others say they truly didn't find them to be difficult. A few said that the first two months with twins are easy (being in the rose-colored glasses phase), then reality hits from months 3-6 (when the sleep deprivation catches up), then it can get easier again.
Classically, the bigger twin is the more physically dominant. It's basic human nature, and particularly applicable to boys as they hit puberty. It happens often with singleton siblings too… the older is bigger and enforces him/herself through physical dominance.
Drink Alcohol, Use Drugs, or Smoke. It's never advisable to drink alcohol excessively, smoke, or take drugs, whether you are pregnant or not. When you are pregnant, doing so exposes your unborn babies to toxic substances, raising their risk of birth defects and chronic illnesses.
The incidence of handicap was 3.7% in twins, 8.7% in triplets, 11.1% in quadruplets, and 10.0% in quintuplets. The risk of producing at least 1 handicapped child was approximately 1 in 13 pairs of twins (7.4%), 1 in 4 or 5 sets of triplets (21.6%), and 1 in 2 sets of quadruplet and quintuplets (50%).
Potential health complications in a twin pregnancy
Women with twin pregnancies are more likely to have pregnancy health problems and complications like gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, premature labour and bleeding. Twins who share a placenta might have extra complications.
There is one particular power though which twins possess, longevity. Fraternal twins live longer than singletons and identical twins longer still. Male identical twins on average, saw the most benefit.
Overall, twins were at an approximately 5-fold increased risk of fetal death, 7-fold increased risk of neonatal death, and 4-fold increased risk of CP compared with singletons. However, at birth weight <2500 g, twins generally did better than singletons, both with respect to mortality and to CP rates.
At the time of Narita's death in January 2000, the pair were 107 years and 175 days old. Kanie died the following March, at age 108, notes Hanako Montgomery for Vice.
You shouldn't share the same bed with your twins because it increases the risk of SIDS. But the AAP does recommend that you room-share — having your twins sleep in your room, each in their own bassinet or crib — ideally for the first six months.
As a parent of twins, I'm pretty sure that you know the answer to the question “which twin is older?” It is, of course, the child that was born first.
According to a study carried out in 2012, researchers found overall lower marriage and divorce rates in twins compared to non-twins. One reason cited is because twins “do not have the same need for marriage as singletons, but have more experience in maintaining a relationship if they do marry”.
Monoamniotic-monochorionic Twins
This is the rarest type of twin, and it means a riskier pregnancy as the babies can get tangled in their own umbilical cords. If you have monoamniotic-monochorionic twins, your healthcare provider will monitor your pregnancy closely.
Just 40% of twin pregnancies go full term.
Do Twins Skip Generations? Many people believe twins skip a generation, but that's just a myth. The idea that twins skip generations likely comes from the fact that the genetic factors contributing to twins only come from the gestational parent's side.
They come from the same fertilized egg and share the same genetic blueprint. To a standard DNA test, they are indistinguishable. But any forensics expert will tell you that there is at least one surefire way to tell them apart: identical twins do not have matching fingerprints.
Identical (i.e., monozygotic, or MZ) twins share 100 percent of their genes, whereas fraternal (i.e., dizygotic, or DZ) twins generally share only 50 percent of their genes.