| Twins can be the same
| |
| | perspective, your chance of giving birth
|
| (identical-monozygotic) or different
| |
| | to twins if you are less than 25 years of
|
| (fraternal-dizygotic). Fraternal twins,
| |
| | age is less than half of what it would be
|
| triplets, or more develop when two or
| |
| | after the age of 35.
|
| more eggs are fertilized by separate
| |
| | 2. You are more likely to conceive twins
|
| sperm. Fraternal fetuses have separate
| |
| | in the first few menstrual cycles after
|
| placentas and amniotic sacs (the bag
| |
| | stopping birth control pills.
|
| containing the fluid around a baby).
| |
| | 3. Infertility treatment. Fertility drugs
|
| Identical twins come from a single egg
| |
| | stimulate your ovaries to release
|
| that has been fertilized by one sperm.
| |
| | multiple eggs, which can be fertilized at
|
| For unknown reasons, the fertilized egg
| |
| | once. This may result in a multiple
|
| splits into two or more embryos during
| |
| | pregnancy. You are, therefore, more
|
| the first stage of development. Some
| |
| | likely to have a multiple pregnancy if
|
| identical twins share the same placenta.
| |
| | you use fertility drugs or assisted
|
| However, they usually grow within
| |
| | reproductive technology (ART - In Vitro
|
| separate amniotic sacs in the uterus. In
| |
| | Fertilization IVF).
|
| rare cases, identical twins share one
| |
| | 4. ART is the transfer of embryos
|
| amniotic sac (monoamniotic).
| |
| | directly into the uterus. In the early
|
| Fraternal multiples:
| |
| | days, when success rates were extremely
|
| 1. Can be of different sexes and may have
| |
| | low, several embryos were transferred in
|
| different blood types.
| |
| | the hope of achieving a pregnancy.
|
| 2. They may look very different from one
| |
| | Nowadays, 25% to 30% of pregnancies from
|
| another, with different-coloured hair and
| |
| | ART are twins; 5% are triplets and less
|
| eyes. They may also look alike, as
| |
| | than 1% are quadruplets or more. As
|
| siblings often do.
| |
| | techniques have improved, success rates
|
| 3. Tend to run in families.
| |
| | from IVF/embryo transfer have increased
|
| 4. They are more common in older mothers,
| |
| | and reasonable success rates are being
|
| African races and when there is a family
| |
| | achieved with single embryo transfer and
|
| history of twins. They are least common
| |
| | this reduces the incidence of multiple
|
| in Asian families. If you have already
| |
| | pregnancies.
|
| carried fraternal twins, you have double
| |
| | What is the prevalence of multiple
|
| the usual risk of having twins. A history
| |
| | pregnancy?
|
| on your partner's side of the family does
| |
| | The natural incidence of twins is 1 in 80
|
| not increase your risk of multiple
| |
| | pregnancies and for triplets 1 in 8000
|
| pregnancy.
| |
| | pregnancies. The incidence is rising as a
|
| Identical twins
| |
| | result of IVF and a tendency for women to
|
| 1. Are always the same sex and blood
| |
| | deliver later in their reproductive
|
| type.
| |
| | years. Naturally occurring quadruplet
|
| 2. They do not necessarily look exactly
| |
| | births occur in 1 per 600,000 births. The
|
| alike. One may be right-handed while the
| |
| | UK would, therefore, expect one set of
|
| other is left-handed.
| |
| | naturally occurring quadruplets each
|
| 3. They develop at random. They are not
| |
| | year. There are estimated to be
|
| related to maternal age, race, or family
| |
| | approximately 125 million human twins and
|
| history of twins.
| |
| | triplets in the world, and just 10
|
| 4. Multiples that are conceived with
| |
| | million identical twins.
|
| infertility treatment are usually
| |
| | One in two pregnancies with same sex
|
| fraternal, rather than identical.
| |
| | babies are monozygous (identical twins).
|
| What are the causes of multiple
| |
| | The rate of identical twins remains at
|
| pregnancy?
| |
| | about 1 in 333 pregnancies across the
|
| 1. With increasing maternal age the
| |
| | globe.
|
| chance of twins increases. To put it in
| |
| |
|
