What Are The Chances Of Having Twins?
It’s the joy of every parent to raise a baby, but more joyous when the blessing comes in doubles. But what are the chances of having twins?
Having twins is regarded as a rare blessing in some cultures, and having their own traditions. In the USA alone, about only 3% of the population give birth to twins. To begin with, what are twins? Twins are two or more offspring that are born of the same pregnancy. Twins can either be identical or fraternal, depending on how fertilization took place. Nevertheless, twins are never born at exactly the same time, as one of them will have to leave the womb earlier than the other one. In every 250 births that are delivered in the whole world, only one makes it as a set of twins.
Identical twins
These types of twins are scientifically known as mono-zygotic twins. This is a unique set of twins as they are formed as a result of fertilization of one egg during a single pregnancy which splits into two. These sets of twins have a unique structure and are of the same sex. They look alike and it can be tough to differentiate them when they stand together unless they have different birthmarks.
Research has shown that this set of twins have everything identical in them apart from their fingerprints. In as much as they have the same genetic information, it is essential to note that fingerprints are not an entirely genetic characteristic. The pattern may seem to be alike but trust me, they are not the same.
Fraternal twins
As stated, the other type of twins are fraternal twins. This is the most common of twins that you will come across. They are common to the extent that the odds of having them is way higher in comparison to identical twins. During ovulation, the ovaries may, at the time, release two eggs simultaneously, something which is common. This can be as a result of fertility treatment or a certain type of diet. We shall look at such counts that factor in later. A single sperm is capable of fertilizing two separate eggs and hence fraternal twins are formed
Fraternal twins can be very different or the same because there is a high probability that different fathers can conceive them in different periods. In most cases, they will be of different sexes, but they can also be of the same. They are also genetically similar to any other children in the family. Given the fact they are not identical, they can be very different in terms of character and personality
Odds of having twins
Many people wish that they could have twins as children but don’t know what the odds of having one or what it takes to conceive one is. The odds can either be genetically induced through family ties and bloodlines or can be as a result of prevailing environmental factors. The most common factor that effects to twin pregnancy are the fertility treatment. However, not all twins are conceived as a result of fertility treatments. The following are some of the factors that can result in twin pregnancy:
Family history
Chances of conceiving fraternal twins will generally increase when you have a family history of twin births in your lineage. However, that is not promised for identical twins. The odds of getting a set of twins will even be higher when there is a family history from both paternal and maternal sides. However, it is essential to note that when the maternal side has a history of fraternity twins, it indicates that the likelihood of the woman ovulating multiple eggs is very high. On the other hand, from the paternal side will symbolize that the man is capable of producing more sperms to fertilize more than one egg.
Age
Age is the main factor when it comes to twin conception and delivery. Women who are thirty years of age and beyond will likely have more than one ovary fertilized since they have higher levels of FSH hormones.
Weight
It may not seem to be sensible when we say that the weight of a woman can dictate whether she has chances of having twins or not. Well, this is the truth. Obese women with BMI that exceeds thirty are more likely to have twins compared to those with healthy weights. Remember, excess fats in the body may lead to overstimulation of the hormone estrogen, which is responsible for ovulation. When this hormone is secreted in excess, then there is a high probability that more than one egg will be ovulated. When these eggs are fertilized fraternal twins may be born.
Race
African-Americans have higher chances of carrying twin pregnancies compared to the Caucasian race. To understand this, we need to talk about multiple pregnancies. Multiple pregnancies are more of having fraternal twins, in a set of two, three, four or even more. Now, according to leading researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Native Americans and Asians have been reported to having the lowest twinning rate globally. White women will only increase their chances of having twins when they are old enough, say thirty-five years of age and beyond.
Conclusion
You have seen the chances of having twins and how they increase from time to time. It tells that twins’ conception does not only depend on the use of fertility drugs but also other factors too. However, research has it that it is still unclear as to why a fertility treatment is the main resultant of identical twins.
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