Who is more likely to have a twin?

Heredity – a woman is more likely to conceive fraternal twins if she is a fraternal twin, has already had fraternal twins, or has siblings who are fraternal twins. Race – Black African women have the highest incidence of twins, while Asian women have the lowest.

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Who is more prone to having twins?

According to the Office on Women's Health , women who are aged 30 years or older are more likely to conceive twins. The reason for this is that women of this age are more likely than younger women to release more than one egg during their reproductive cycle.

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Which parent carries the gene for twins?

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.

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Do twins come from the mom or dad?

However, for a given pregnancy, only the mother's genetics matter. Fraternal twins happen when two eggs are simultaneously fertilized instead of just one. A father's genes can't make a woman release two eggs.

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How is the twin gene passed down?

When both eggs are fertilized, the resulting siblings are fraternal twins. Because this gene can be passed on, the tendency to have fraternal twins can in fact run in families. Identical twins, on the other hand, result from one fertilized egg randomly splitting in two, creating two siblings with identical DNA.

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Older women more likely to conceive twins due to evolution

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What increases chance of twins?

Factors that increase the chance of twins include: consuming high amounts of dairy foods, being over the age of 30, and conceiving while breastfeeding. Many fertility drugs including Clomid, Gonal-F, and Follistim also increase the odds of a twin pregnancy.

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Are all twins hereditary?

The likelihood of conceiving twins is a complex trait, meaning that it is affected by multiple genetic and environmental factors, depending on the type of twins. The two types of twins are classified as monozygotic and dizygotic.

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Can I have twins if there are none in my family?

Nobody knows what causes identical (monozygotic) twins. Everyone has the same chance of having identical twins: about 1 in 250. Identical twins do not run in families.

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How twins run in families?

Yes, some types of twins run in families. Non-identical (fraternal) twins tend to be hereditary. Some people inherit a gene that causes more than one egg to be released during ovulation, increasing the likelihood of multiples being conceived. This can make for lots of twins down the generations!

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What twins share 100% of their genes?

Identical, or monozygotic (MZ), twins have 100 percent of their genes—including those that influence risk for alcoholism—in common, whereas fraternal, or dizygotic (DZ), twins share (on average) only 50 percent of the genes that vary in the population (see figure). Common Environmental Sources.

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What are the odds of having twins by age?

7.3 percent in women younger than 35. 6.9 percent in women age 35 to 37. 6.8 percent in women age 38 to 40. 5.1 percent in women age 41 to 42.

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Are twins hereditary from mother's side?

So, in families where the women have a tendency towards hyperovulation, genetics could sufficiently explain an increased presence of fraternal twins. However, since only women ovulate, the connection is only valid on the mother's side of the family.

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What determines if you have twins?

Multiple pregnancy usually happens when more than one egg is fertilized. It also can happen when one egg is fertilized and then splits into 2 or more embryos that grow into 2 or more babies. When one fertilized egg splits into 2, the babies are called identical twins.

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Can the father carry the gene for twins?

It is possible for the father to have the twin gene in him which is made possible by his own mother who is a carrier. This can then be passed on to his children. If, for example, his daughter inherits the twin gene, then it is more than possible that he would have fraternal twins as grandchildren.

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Is twin delivery more painful?

No.

That's not all, Monga says. Women pregnant with twins complain of more back pain, sleeping difficulties, and heartburn than those who are carrying one child. Being pregnant with twins also carries a higher rate of maternal anemia and a higher rate of postpartum hemorrhage (bleeding) after delivery.

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Are twins 100% genetically the same?

The DNA of monozygotic twins tends not to be 100% identical, and epigenetic and environmental differences further widen the gap between twin pairs. It's not nature or nurture; it's a complex interaction between our genes, our environment, and our epigenetic markers that shape who we are and what illnesses befall us.

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Do twins skip a generation or two?

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.

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What are the symptoms of having twins at 5 weeks pregnant?

Twin pregnancy symptoms
  • More morning sickness. ...
  • Tummy troubles. ...
  • Intense fatigue. ...
  • More weight gain earlier. ...
  • Increased appetite. ...
  • More fetal movement sometimes in different areas of your tummy at once.

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What age is easiest with twins?

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.

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What age are twins usually born?

A little more than half of twin pregnancies end in preterm delivery (before 37 weeks). While 40 weeks is the full gestation period of the average pregnancy, most twin pregnancies are delivered at approximately 36 weeks (range 32-38 weeks depending on the type of twin pregnancy).

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Is it harder to be pregnant with twins?

Twins are usually born before the usual 40-week due date. For the mother, carrying twins can be more difficult than carrying a single baby. And her risks are higher for pregnancy problems. That's why keeping up with prenatal checks and tests is especially important.

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What are 70% of all twins?

Barring pregnancies that result from assisted reproductive technology, dizygotic twins are far more common than monozygotic twins and account for 70 percent of all twin gestations.

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