Amazing and Totally Fascinating Facts You Need to Know About Twins

Ever wondered what it is that’s so darn fascinating about twins that have made them the subject of myth and mystery and a source of curiosity to many? Even those who know twins or have them in the family may have some questions about them.

We idolize them, we envy them, and many, like me, dreamed of having an identical partner-in-crime as a kid! Some women even stick to conception-friendly diets said to increase their chances of having adorable little duos. And with such a surge, there’s no better time to learn more about them; brush up on your twosome
health trivia; and explore the mysteries about those things that you've always wondered about twins…and no better place than here!

One of the magical mysteries associated with multiples is that they share a special connection beyond that of ordinary siblings, for example:

* They may appear to know each other's thoughts, by saying the same thing simultaneously or finishing each other's sentences.

* A twin will feel pain when a co-twin is hurting even across the mile.

Read on…

*1 in 250 pregnancies results in identical twins.

*Some estimates suggest 1 in 8 people started life as a twin while 1 in 70 actually are a twin.

*EITHER twin can have a totally different dad - The appropriate term to describe this situation is heteropaternal superfecundation and it only applies to fraternal (dizygotic) twins, not identical (monozygotic) twins, which form from a single egg/sperm combination.

Note that twins are defined as "...two young who are simultaneously born from one MOTHER." (Encyclopedia Britannica).

*Dogs can differentiate between twins

Although it’s difficult for humans to differentiate between identical twins, this isn’t the case for specially trained German Shepherds, who can pick up on scent variations between both identical and non-identical twins. This is true even if the siblings ate the same food and lived in the same house.

*Nigeria has the highest rate of multiple births. The title of the most twins born per year in the World goes to the quiet community of Igbo-Ora, Nigeria. Igbo-Ora holds a current record of twin births at four times the national average. One theory derives from several medical studies of women who regularly eat cassava plant which is a big part of the diet of the people of Igbo-Ora. The plant contains a chemical found within the peelings and the tuber root that increases the chances of multiple-birth, and Nigeria is the World's largest producer of cassava.

*China has the lowest rate of multiple births in the world averaging 1 in 300

*A study shows vegans are five times less likely to have twins than women who consume diary and animal products. This is likely due to a protein called IGF that increases the sensitivity of the ovaries to hormones that cause ovulation.

*The month of July ranks number one for the conception of fraternal twins.

*The Guinness Book of World Records lists the tallest female twins in the world at 6'6" sisters, and they are Ann and Claire Recht, of Canby, Oregon.

*Twins are not fond of negative-positive comparison comments of each other when it comes to physical, mental or personality traits.

*Chances of having a twin pregnancy is increased by maternal age (30+).

*Twins, it seems, are wired to be social since they are never really alone, even in their mother's womb. Examining 3D ultrasound images, a study in Padova, Italy found fetuses start interacting at 14 weeks.

*Taller women are more likely to birth twins - Scientists suspect that it may be due to insulin-like growth factor, a protein that has been linked to both a higher percentage of birthing twins as well as increased height, as it stimulates the growth of some bone cells.

*Women who give birth to twins live longer.

*Twins have been greeted as "a sign of their father's superior virility, but a new study from the University of Utah shows that twins "have more to do with their mother’s sturdy constitution than their father's sexual power.

*Once you have fraternal twins, you are 3 to 4 times more likely to have another set!.

*Even though Identical twins have the exact same genes, their personalities are often startlingly different—even when they were brought up in the same way.

*Male twins will not have twins unless their wives have the ability to produce two eggs.

* 22 % percent of twins are left handed, compared to 10% in singletons.

* Fraternal twin girls have twice the chance of giving birth to twins than singletons.

*Vanishing twin syndrome- 15-20% percent of all twin pregnancies will result in the mother miscarrying one fetus.

* Over 50% of twins are born before 37 weeks.

* The average birth weight for a twin is 5lbs, 5 oz. 

* Identical twins share the same DNA but do not have the same fingerprints. Although some of the whorls, loops and ridges are similar in the fingers of identical twins, the details are different.

*While most people are only familiar with identical and fraternal twins, there are actually 7 different types of twins. They are: identical, fraternal, half-identical, mirror image twins, mixed chromosome twins, superfecundation, and superfetation.

*About 25% of identical twins are called Mirror-Image Twins.

 When a fertilized egg splits later than normal in the embryonic stage, mirror-image twins are the result. This means that they are, in fact, identical, but only in the way that your reflection in a mirror is an identical image of you. Some of their physical characteristics are typically reversed—hence the name ‘mirror-image.’ For example, one twin may be right-handed, while the other twin is left-handed, or if one twin has a mole or freckle under her right eye, the other will have it under her left eye.

*40% of Twins often develop their own language, a phenomena called idioglossia that happens when one twin models the disordered or incorrect speech of the other, leading to both twins using the same grammatical or speech sound errors. It sounds like a foreign language, but is really just a normal part of cognitive development.

*Sometimes, one twin experiences a physical sensation of something that is happening to their twin elsewhere (such as labor pains or a heart attack.). That is experiencing a cramping sensation at the very moment the other goes into labour. Or even dreaming of holding a baby at the exact moment that the other twin gives birth.

*Other times they perform similar actions when they're apart, such as buying the same item, ordering the same meal in a restaurant, or picking up the phone to make a call at the exact same moment.

* A twin may feel physical pain if the other is spanked for something like faking a report card grade.

Are you a twin and do you know any interesting fact about twins to add to this list? Please leave it in the comment box.