Twin studies are important research setups which aim to compare the influences of nature vs. nurture on people. Moreover, twins are very genetically similar which makes research involving them very powerful. Genes and environmental factors form human behavior and some physical characteristics. Twins have very similar genes which make research results more reliable.

Also, some studies determine ways to increase the chances of conceiving twins. Studies involving twins may range from twin behavior, development and conception. In this article, we’ll find out the different the various studies about twins.

A brief history of studies with twins

In 1875, Francis Galton published articles about twins and distributed 600 questionnaires to parents of twins. Francis Galton wanted to prove his theory on the roles of inheritance to the characteristics of adults by his assessment of twin volunteers. Even though Francis Galton got some of his theories all wrong due to his focus on circumstantial evidence in his study, he was still able to establish the competition between the forces of nature vs. nurture on the growth and development of humans.

Nature vs. nurture in twins

Genetics dictates traits that are natural in the genes. Moreover, in identical twins genes are about 90% identical. On the other hand, fraternal twins are only about 50% identical genes based on their DNA. Even if twins are raised together, nurture still plays a role in determining their differences and uniqueness.

The way you nurture your twins makes them who they are when they grow up. Furthermore, you can mold your twins into what you want them to become as they grow older. Even though twins are raised by the same parents together, they are eventually going to have their differences. This proves that after birth, nurture plays a huge role in developing the uniqueness of twins.

What are twin studies?

These are human researches that involve twin volunteers. Moreover, this is an assessment of genetic and environmental factors that play a role in the changes in human physical or psychological characteristics. In addition, most twin researches establish links between genetics, environmental factors and common diseases in humans. Moreover, twin researches also assess the health of the mother and the twins.

Some of the popular studies with twins are researches which record and assess the factors to increase the chances of having twins. Moreover, parents or aspiring parents refer to different pregnancy guides with a scientific basis once they are planning to conceive either singles or multiples. Also, in different pregnancy and developmental studies, twins help scientists understand human development better. In addition, some studies involving twins also help researchers and doctors assess certain risk factors during pregnancy until birth.

Why are studies involving twins being conducted?

Singletons are also being studied by scientists. However, it is the more common type of pregnancy and birth which has already been studied for years. Also, twins provide more opportunities in discovering new things when it comes to the growth and development of people. Twins and multiples have not yet been studied by scientists for a very long and there are still plenty of mysteries in twins and multiples. Here some of the things those scientists are trying to find out when they conduct studies about twins:

• Determine the chances of having twins
• Assess the factors which increase or decrease the chances of conceiving twins
• Twin psychology
• Etiology of developmental anomalies in twins
• To find out the risk factors in twin pregnancies
• Twin genetics
• Advanced maternal age and twins
• Risks in delivering premature twins
• Physiology of twins

What are parasitic twins and conjoined twins?

In very rare circumstances, babies are born with a parasitic twin attached to them. Moreover, this parasitic twin may not have the vital organs which are usually found in normal babies. This developmental anomaly causes a baby to have an extra limb, an internal mass or other body parts due to the presence of a parasitic twin. Previously, parasitic twins were unheard of, until scientists began to study twins and uncovered some of their mysteries.

There have only been very few reports about parasitic twinning. However, scientists are continuously uncovering new facts about them. In addition, parasitic twins are not regarded as alive and extra body parts due to parasitic twins can be surgically removed by medical professionals. On the other hand, the occurrence of conjoined twins is a whole different story wherein both of the twins have a certain level of consciousness and can individually think, but are fused in certain body parts. Conjoined twins still baffle scientists until today and are continuously researching to find out the etiology of conjoined twins.

What is vanishing twin syndrome?

A notable breakthrough in studies with twin pregnancies and development is the discovery of the vanishing twin syndrome. Moreover, 1 out of 5 pregnancies is usually affected by this condition. It is the loss or sudden disappearance of one twin in the womb, while the other survives until birth. Vanishing twin syndrome was only recognized by doctors in 1945 when the use of ultrasound became more common in confirming twins or singleton pregnancies. Nowadays, there is still no definite cause for the vanishing twin syndrome, but research about this condition continues.

Twin registry database

Databases for twin researches create opportunities for scientists to include twins in different trials which help us understand human psychology, physiology and other characteristics. Also, twin registries help improve the existing record about important things in the growth and development of twins. Moreover, if several generations of twins have registered in the database, it may provide vital information about the recent trends and odds of having twins.

Conclusion

Twin studies are being done to help us understand the differences and similarities among people. Furthermore, the role of nature and nurture in the lives of people are now being uncovered further, thanks to modern-day twin research. Studies about twin pregnancy and conception may provide information to help you increase your chances of having twins. Moreover, genetic anomalies in twins are also being evaluated in these studies.

Most of us know about 2 types of twins, namely identical twins and fraternal twins. Most of the boy and girl twins that we know of are often fraternal or dizygotic. But, can identical twins be boy and girl? Let’s find out in this article.

Difference Between Identical and Fraternal Twins

Identical twins are monozygotic, which means that the twins emerged from a single fertilized egg cell which split and later on developed into 2 embryos. However, there are also 2 types of identical twins which are monochorionic-diamniotic twins and monochorionic-monoamniotic twins. On the other hand, fraternal or dizygotic twins emerge from 2 different fertilized egg cells implanted in the womb. Dizygotic twins are separate fertilized egg cells, so they have different amniotic sacs, too.

Fraternal twins are often the type of twins that have different genders. However, dizygotic twins may only share about 50% identical DNA, so generally, some characteristics might turn out alike. But, based on their DNA, fraternal twins might be more different than you think.

When in doubt a twin zygosity test might be what you need. It helps determine the genetics of your twins and whether or not they are predisposed to certain health conditions. However, if you are just curious to know whether your twins are identical or fraternal, this is the test that you might need. The twin zygosity test helps you determine the similarities and differences of your twins.

Do Identical Twins Always Turn Out as The Same Gender?

Identical twins turn out as the same gender about 99.9% of the time. However, scientists and doctors recently discovered a rare type of twins which is called sesquizygotic twins. Sesquizygotic twins were only discovered in 2007. Other twin databases did not show the same pattern in twins, which made the 2007 record the first for this type of twinning. The sesquizygotic twins are also called semi-identical twins which may or may not be the same gender.

Can Identical Twins be Boy and Girl?

Generally, identical twins can only be of the same gender. However, rare cases, such as sesquizygotic (semi-identical) twinning may cause identical twins to be a boy and a girl. The only problem with sesquizygotic twins is that this type of twinning is very prone to genetic defects to one of the twins, such as ambiguous genitalia due to anomalies in the chromosomes of one of the twins.

Moreover, if identical twins end up being of different genders, the male with XY chromosomes may turn out normal, but the female with XO chromosomes might have Turner Syndrome.

Technically speaking, yes there are semi-identical or maternal twins that can be a boy and a girl. However, it is not without risk or genetic anomalies to the fetus. Even though sesquizygotic twins are very rare, the risks of genetic problems in one of the sesquizotic twins are very high.

One of the sesquizygotic twins recorded even had ambiguous genitalia which made it difficult to tell whether the other twin was a boy or a girl. This is due to some problems in the chromosome of the other twin when the egg cell split into two zygotes which eventually became 2 fetuses.

What Are The Chances of Having Boy and Girl semi-Identical Twins?

The chance of having twins is just about 3 in 100, so that is roughly a 3% chance of conceiving twins at any given time. However, with semi-identical twins, it is even rarer. It is estimated that 99.9% of identical twins have the same gender. But, semi-identical twins are so rare that they make up only about 0.1% of the twin populations.

Moreover, the first set of semi-identical twins have only been recorded in 2007 and another set of semi-identical twins was recorded but with ambiguous genitalia. So far, only 2 cases of sesquizotic twins have been recorded as of writing.

Having twins might be a rare occurrence. However, normal semi-identical twins without genetic anomalies are even less likely. Prenatal checkups and adequate nutrition of the pregnant mother may help avoid problems in pregnancy. Semi-identical twins are very rare, but regular checkups are important in any type of pregnancy.

It is very seldom that we see boy and girl twins. Furthermore, it is even less likely that these boy and girl twins are identical. Even though boy and girl twins might look very similar in physical features, genetically speaking they might be more different than you think.

Identical twins are about 90% similar in DNA, contrary to fraternal twins which are only about 50% similar. Physical appearance isn’t always reliable in telling whether twins are truly identical or not. The twin zygosity test is the only sure way to tell whether your twins belong to an identical, semi-identical, or fraternal type.

My Boy and Girl Twins Look Identical, is There Any Chance That They Are Semi-identical?

Twins generally have very similar genetics, so even fraternal twins might look very alike. However, semi identical twins emerged from the same fertilized egg cell which later on separated as different embryos and later on different fetuses.

Furthermore, semi-identical twins are very rare, so you might want to run a twin zygosity test on your twins which is the only method to determine whether or not they are semi-identical. If they turn out to be semi-identical twins, it would only be the third case to be recorded since 2007.

Conclusion

Can identical twins be boy and girl? The answer is yes. However, such cases are very rare and prone to genetic problems. Scientists are yet to discover more facts about semi-identical pregnancies and twinning. At the moment, information is very limited and twin databases are yet to record more semi-identical twinning occurrences.

Twins often grow together and experience almost everything together. However, when they grow older and begin to discover new things individually, there might be a time that your twins might need to be separated. Twin separation anxiety might occur if one or both of your twins are unable to get by being separated from each other. In this article, let’s find out about separation anxiety which is unique to twins.

What is twin separation anxiety?

Missing a loved one is just normal for humans. But, when longing for someone leads to extreme emotions or anxiety, it might be separation anxiety disorder which is caused by an imbalance in brain chemicals. Moreover, this type of anxiety is more common among maternal or fraternal twins who grew up together. But, separation anxiety may also affect singletons when they are separated from their mothers. Twins have to cope up with separation from their mother and their twin. Fortunately, twin separation anxiety may be addressed at a younger age, so your twins may not have socialization problems later in life.

Separation anxiety in twins is an extreme reaction with normal circumstances during separation. However, growing up, separation might be inevitable for twins. Parents may address the behavior by talking to their twins and helping them understand that their separation is only temporary in some instances. Moreover, if separation anxiety has led to twin dependence and other anti-social behavior, you may seek the help of a therapist for your twins.

Signs of separation anxiety in twins

Separation anxiety and simply missing each other may be very different for twins. Furthermore, missing someone is a normal human reaction to longing for someone. On the other hand, showing extreme signs of anxiety during a brief separation might be detrimental. These are some of the tell-tale signs of separation anxiety that commonly occur among twins:

• Worrying too much about their twin or parent when not within sight
• Horrible thoughts about their parent or twin even during brief episodes of separation
• Refusal to allow parents and their twin out of their sight
• Not going to bed when their twin is not around
• Tailing their twin or parent too much even when at home
• Random complaints about headache, stomach ache, body ache that are caused by anxiety when about to be separated from their twin or parent
• Obvious signs of distress when the twin or parent is not around
• Muscle tension
• Panic attacks or tantrums
• Other signs and symptoms of anxiety disorder

When do twins grow out of separation issues?

If your twins easily grow out of suspected separation anxiety, then, probably, they are just very close and they do not have a separation anxiety disorder. Moreover, in separation anxiety disorder, it is notable that the symptoms only intensify overtime which may eventually lead to impairment to one or both of the twins. Closeness among twins who grew up together is normal, but separation anxiety disorder in twins may lead to social and mental impairment if not addressed as soon as the signs and symptoms were observed.

What is a reminder token?

A reminder token is an item that reminds the twins of each other or their mothers. Moreover, when separation anxiety occurs, a reminder token might help your twins get by. Early signs of separation anxiety usually start when the twins have to be separated for extended periods. When the twins begin school and have to attend separate classes, this might trigger separation anxiety between them. A reminder token is a simple item that the twins might attribute to their mother or each other which reminds them of the presence of the person that they are missing.

A reminder token might ease separation anxiety in twins for certain age groups. However, it is not a sure way to manage symptoms of separation anxiety in twins. At first, reminder tokens might work. But, if signs of separation anxiety in your twins are still being observed, a therapist might be needed to help your twins live a normal life until adulthood without separation anxiety.

Why are twins very close to each other?

Twins often grow up together and they are not used to the absence of the other. Moreover, the relationship between twins is more complicated than most people think. Also, twins are so close to each other that they are still able to understand each other when they invent their autonomous language. It is not surprising if one or both twins don’t feel comfortable being far apart.

Twins are so close because they are used to having shared experiences with each other. Moreover, there is a notable adjustment period among twins when separated. However, not all twins exhibit signs of separation anxiety. On the contrary, some might even want some “alone time” away from their twin.

How to prevent twin separation anxiety?

At the moment, there is no known preventive measure for separation anxiety disorder in twins. However, early detection of this type of anxiety might make it more manageable for your children in the future. Moreover, the impact of separation anxiety in the lives of your twins might greatly be reduced with early detection and adequate medication or therapy. Separation anxiety disorder in twins may be detrimental to the twins’ social life during adolescence and adulthood. Early detection is the only way to prevent separation anxiety disorder from getting worse.

Conclusion

Twin separation anxiety is a disorder that is caused by chemical imbalances in the brain. Furthermore, this imbalance causes twins to have extreme reactions towards separation or anticipated separation. There is no known prevention for this disorder. However, therapists may help manage the symptoms of separation anxiety before it gets worse to prevent impairment.

Babies begin to learn different things on or before their first year. However, with twins, they learn together and may eventually develop their twin language. This language even has a technical term called cryptophasia. In this article, we’ll find out about this unique way of communication between twins.

What is cryptophasia?

Cryptophasia originated from the Greek words which mean “secret” + “speech”. It is the term for the speech or non-verbal cues that send messages across twins. Moreover, you might observe that your twins’ first mode of communication is cryptophasia. Luckily, as parents to twins, you may also learn about their secret language and effectively communicate with your twins with cryptophasia.

Raising twins might surprise you with not only their language but their non-verbal communication, too.  Also, cryptophasia is often coupled with various movements among toddlers. To everyone else who might be listening to twins’ cryptophasia, it might just sound gibberish. However, the twins and their parents often know exactly what they are talking about. Besides, cryptophasia might not only occur during the early years but even as the twins enter school, too.

Why do twins communicate with the twin language, cryptophasia?

When twins begin to speak, English or other known languages might not be the first language that they learn about. Having a twin means that they can learn cryptophasia together and effectively communicate using cryptophasia. Even though parents often begin teaching their twins the same language that they speak, twins have other ways of learning with each other with their made-up language.

Twins often spend the most time with each other which keeps them in sync about almost everything. Even though parents or guardians are often around them, twins often begin to speak with each other and develop their language. However, this cryptophasia might be attributed to speech delay in some twins and multiples. Cryptophasia might be a good way to start twin communication, but people around twins would have a hard time understanding them. When twins begin to communicate with cryptophasia, it is not something to worry about.

About 40% of twins have autonomous languages. However, this autonomous language usually disappears when the twins learn about real languages. If cryptophasia persists and prevents the twins from learning their mother tongue, a speech therapist might be necessary to prevent further delay in speech and to allow the twins to be integrated into school and society.

When does cryptophasia begin to develop in twins?

Twins are often very in sync with each other that they learn new things together. Moreover, when your twins begin to communicate, usually with each other, the initial language is cryptophasia and not the mother tongue of the parents or guardians. However, sometimes cryptophasia in twins is often due to the missing syllables and mistakes in the pronunciation of some words in the mother tongue of the twins.

Is delayed speech linked to cryptophasia?

Cryptophasia might be the initial language of your twins. However, it is yet to be established by science that delayed speech is directly linked to cryptophasia in twins. Other factors may affect late language emergence in twins. Cryptophasia might be linked to delayed speech if the twins think that cryptophasia is an actual language and refuse to learn their parents’ mother tongue. But, with proper communication and enough time communicating with your twins, they are less likely to have delayed speech unless there are other underlying problems that a speech pathologist has to address.

Is cryptophasia due to nature or nurture?

Cryptophasia is often a result of environmental factors and regular twin to twin interaction, so it is due to nurture. In addition, cryptophasia is not something that is passed on in the genes of the parents to the twins. Twins often learn their secret language together when they attempt to communicate with each other early in life. This also proves that it is not caused by the nature of twins, referring to genetics, but the twins might view cryptophasia as a need to communicate with each other without enough knowledge of their mother tongue. However, cryptophasia may also be genetic if there are some genetic deformities in the mouth or tongue of the twins which may hinder proper speech.

Not all twins develop cryptophasia. However, cryptophasia may develop if they aren’t given enough chance to communicate with other people using real languages. If not given enough chance to speak with other people and learn their mother tongue, twins may mimic each other’s baby talk and it is suspected that it is how cryptophasia begins to develop in twins.

How to teach twins proper language even during their cryptophasia phase?

Twins may learn a real language even during their cryptophasia phase to avoid speech delays later in life. These are some practiced that you may try with your twins to help them learn your mother tongue more quickly:

• Give time to talk to your twins individually
• Limit exposure to the media, even for children’s channels
• Promote communication using the mother tongue
• Allow your twins to speak for themselves
• Develop your twins’ social skills early in life by introducing them to others
• Encourage individuality among your twins when it comes to speaking
• Motivate your twins to ask questions
• Consult a speech pathologist to monitor your twins’ language development

Conclusion

Twin language might be cute in twins. However, you have to look out for signs of delayed speech and language development. It is beneficial for your twins if you talk to them individually or take turns in communicating with you so they may learn about your mother tongue and learn to speak up individually. Twins may eventually grow out of cryptophasia, so as long as they are still able to learn their mother tongue properly, it is nothing to be worried about and your twins are just going through a normal phase.

When you think of planned parenthood, you usually think of the perfect time to conceive either twins or singletons. However, successfully conceiving twins usually boils down to luck. Nowadays, there are known ways to increase the chances of having twins. Let’s find out the best time to conceive twins.

How to conceive twins? and When is the best time to conceive twins?

If you have a regular menstrual cycle of 28 days, your best chance to conceive twins is between days 10-17 of your menstrual cycle, which is the peak of ovulation. However, not all women ovulate these days so some ovulation might come earlier or later. Moreover, after sexual intercourse, sperm can live in the cervical mucus for up to 5 days as the sperm wait for the mature egg cell or cells to be fertilized.

In the case of maternal twins, conceiving multiple pregnancies depends on the cell multiplication of the egg after it is fertilized. However, a woman can also release multiple egg cells upon ovulation. When multiple egg cells are released and fertilized by a sperm, this pregnancy creates fraternal twins. Having intercourse two days before your expected ovulation is best for higher chances of conception and pregnancy.

How can you increase the chances of having a multiple pregnancy?

By keeping track of your ovulation, you may increase your chances of having twins or triplets. Also, having intercourse before and during the expected ovulation is recommended to increase the chances of fertilizing the egg cell or cells that the ovaries have released. Furthermore, you can increase your chances of conceiving twins by increasing your intake of folic acid and other nutrients which support twin pregnancy.

In the US, your chances of having twins are about 3% or 3 in every 100 births. The chance remains the same regardless of when you plan to conceive. However, it is notable that twin pregnancies and births had dramatically increased since the ‘80s when records were compared.

Twin births have steadily been increasing since then. Now might be a good time to conceive twins due to the medical advancement, which may help support your pregnancy and provide care for your twins whether they are born full-term.

What are the factors which predispose you to conceive twins?

Different factors increase your chances of having twins. However, you still have to keep track of your ovulation well to increase your chances of conceiving altogether. Here are some of the known factors which may increase your chances of having twins:

• Maternal age of 35 or older
• Twins in the family history
• Certain fertility treatments
• Height and weight

What are your chances of having twins after a miscarriage?

Your chances of conceiving twins 4-6 weeks after a miscarriage becomes higher when your body goes through a hyperovulation phase which may cause your ovaries to release more than one egg cell at a time during ovulation. When these egg cells are fertilized, they become fraternal twins. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to wait for a longer time to conceive once again after a miscarriage unless you are not yet emotionally ready or you have undergone other procedures which require you to postpone your pregnancy.

Folic acid to get pregnant with twins: What is folic acid twin pregnancy?

Folic acid twin pregnancy increases the chances of conceiving twins by elevating the intake of the essential nutrient Vitamin B9. The intake of Vitamin B9 is increased while attempting to conceive twins with the right timing of copulation based on a woman’s menstrual cycle. You might want to consult your doctor before trying to conceive twins by increasing your Vitamin B9 intake.

Increased folic acid intake may be in the form of Vitamin B9 dietary supplements or food enriched with folic acid. In addition, research suggests that increased folic acid intake may increase your chances of conceiving twins by up to 40% due to the folic acid fortification effect.

However, folic acid supplementation must only be done in moderation since the folic acid intake of more than 1000 micrograms has been linked to an increased risk for newborn autism. Nevertheless, folic acid may prevent congenital problems and miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy. Also, it may increase your chances of conceiving twins naturally.

What to expect upon conceiving twins?

So you got the right timing for optimum twin pregnancy conception. Now, what should you expect? The first sign of twin pregnancy conception might be heavy implantation bleeding. This implantation bleeding occurs about 6-12 days after the sperm fertilizes the egg. It is entirely normal and should not need medical intervention unless the bleeding is a suspected miscarriage.

Conceiving twins is a shorter journey than conceiving singletons because twin pregnancies are generally shorter. Few twin pregnancies reach full-term. Also, you may expect to have high progesterone levels when you successfully conceive twins. However, if progesterone levels are low, it may cause problems staying pregnant.

It would help if you got the proper nutrients once you conceive twins. Besides, twins need more nutrients to grow, and you also need more nutrients to maintain healthy hormone levels to stay pregnant. Moreover, you may expect most pregnancy symptoms to kick in during the first trimester. You can expect these symptoms to be more intense if you carry two.

Conclusion

The best time to conceive twins remains at the peak of ovulation. However, the timing remains the same whether you are attempting for single or multiple pregnancies. The timing does not increase your chances of conceiving twins. But, proper nutrition, family history, and physiology may increase your chances of having twins.