Quick Fun Twin Facts

• Fraternal twinning is genetically predisposed. Identical twinning is random. Fraternal   twinning is the result of a woman releasing multiple eggs at the same time, and is largely the result of a genetic predisposition to release this extras. Identical twins, however, are the result of a random split of a single egg, something which cannot be genetically predisposed. In recent years, the number of fraternal twins has risen in response to fertility treatments, while the number of identical twin births has stayed the same. 

•  Of the five types of twin births, about 40% are fraternal boy/girl, followed by girl/girl fraternal and boy/boy fraternal. Identical twins are the least common, with boy/boy identical representing the least common percentage of all twin births. 

• Identical twins share the same DNA, but will have their own fingerprints!

• About 25% of identical twins are called mirror image twins. For example if one has a mole under her right eye, the other will have it under her left eye.

• Chances of having a twin pregnancy naturally is increased by maternal age 

 ( 30+), genetics and number of previous pregnancies.

• Twin pregnancy is considered full term at 36 weeks and 3 days. 

• The average weight of twins at term is about 5.5 lbs.

• Male twins will not have twins unless their wives have the ability to produce 2 eggs. 

• 1 in 250 pregnancies can result in identical twins.

• Ideoglossia is the term used for the secret language of twins. This secret language actually does not exist. Once twins, as in any other baby, learn to talk, they mispronounce words but because their other half is capable of recognizing and understanding those words, it seems as if they have their own language.

• It is a myth that fraternal twins skip a generation.    

• Twins Start Bonding in Mom's Belly. No wonder twins share such an unbreakable bond — they get a head start on the rest of us. Researchers from University of Padova in Italy recently studied 3D ultrasound videos of five sets of twins in the womb. When the fetuses were just 14 weeks old, the researchers noticed that the pairs seemed to be reaching out for each other, touching head to head and arm to head. At 18 weeks, they were stroking each other more often and were in physical contact about 30 percent of the time. Even more phenomenal, the fetuses seemed to be extra gentle when touching around their siblings’ eyes (likely because this area is so delicate, the researchers posit). Previous research has noted that twins appear to interact socially with each other just hours after birth — and the University of Padova researchers believe they may just be wired to do so.

• After digging up the birth records of more than 59,000 women between 1800 and 1970, University of Utah researchers found that moms of twins tend to live longer than moms without twins. 

• Identical twins have almost identical brainwave patterns. The notion that twins think alike just might be true. Research on identical twins shows that they have almost perfectly matching brainwave patterns. Some think this could explain twins' abilities to know what the other is thinking and feeling.