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About Twins and Premature Babies
Ever since we have learned about the twin pregnancy, we have been paying attention to many things related to twins and premature babies.
Twins facts
Twins biology with diagrams.
- On average, twins are born 22 days premature.
- On average, twins are born 5 lb 5 oz., average weight of singleton babies is 7 lb 7 oz..
- One set of twins is born to each 100 couples each year in the US. The statistics has doubled in the past couple of decades.
- Other statistics say that there is one set of twins per 90 child births. The statistics is highest in African American and lowest in Asian population. Someone told me it is about one in 300 for Asian twins. The statistics for identical twins is even lower.
- Due to advances in ultrasound imaging technology, the medical world discovered only recently that twin conception is more common than we knew. At least one-eighth of all natural pregnancies begin as twins. Perhaps due to the genetic making of the mother, most twins are not carried through the entire term. One of the twin embryos is rejected by the mother's body and is absorbed back into the mother's tissue within the first few weeks of conception. This is known as the "disappearing twin" or "vanishing twin" (read a real life story about disappeared twin). In some cases, the evidence of the second baby is discovered before it is totally absorbed, but in most cases, the second twin had already disappeared by the time the mother took her pregnancy test. That's why this phenomenon is not known until recently. Perhaps better prenatal care helps the second twin to survive the first few weeks, hence more twins are born nowadays.
- Most people know there are two types of twins, namely fraternal twins and identical twins. However, among the identical twins, there are some that are not so identical. They are mirror twins. They are mirror image of their twin sibling. For example, one is right handed and the other is left handed. Some external features such as hair, moles etc. are on the opposite side. Some even have their internal organs grow on the opposite side.
It is hard to believe, but one in every 8,500 people on earth have a medical condition called situs inversus. Researchers believe that the condition is closely related to primary ciliary dyskinesia. For most people, the heart rests on the left, the tri-lobed lung is on the right, the bi-lobed lung is on the left, the stomach and spleen fill the left side of the abdominal cavity, the liver and gall bladder the right, and the intestines run from right to left. These people with situs inversus have the normal left-right placement of their organ flip-flopped. Not all mirror twins are situs reversus, or situs reversus always have a twin sibling. However, it is puzzling to science that two individuals with identical DNA can grow up to be opposite of each other.
More facts about multiples.
A sweet poem by the Rojas family on Raising Twin Daughters.
A resourceful page about twin biology.
Did you know prime numbers have twins too?
Books on twins
Click here to see my recommendations
Links to twins resources
Twins: Development and Language
A Discovery Channel's note on "Multiple birth".
A nice TWINS info page by our Geocities neighbor.
Twinsburg, Ohio.
Twinsburg TWINS days .
twins world and twins restaurant and their book on twins
Lisa's twins list.
ToBuyTwo: Auction website for Multiples
These sites are down:
National Online Father of Twins Club (yours truly is a member of this club.)
The TWINSource
Twinz Unlimited Web Page
Another informative TWINS info page.
Twins, Triplets, Multiples: TWINS Magazine
The how and why of Twins
Answers to some stupid questions about twins
Twin space
Twinplace: a shopping and info website for Multiples
Links to identical twins sites
I am trying to link to as many sites about identical twins as I can find. If you know of one not listed here, or my links here become obsolete, please let me know.Baby Twins (parents maintained sites)
(members of the monozygotic ring are in italic.)Evert and Rik, a set of twins from the Netherlands (website is not in English)
the Limon's identical twins.
Sharon's identical twins.
Cade and Connor.
Mackenzie and Megan.
Amber and Melissa.
Kayla & Allison.
Maia & Olivia.
Hannah and Abigail (Kincaid)
Abigail and Hannah (Mahan)
Kirsten and Chesley (born at 28 wk gestation, surviver of TTTS)
Jennifer and Jacqueline
Emma & Maria.
Daniel and Christopher.
Sophie and Lauren Nield from north Wales.
Angie's identical twins.
Baylee & Bradlee.
Christopher & Stephen De Nise.
Jacob & Dylan mirror image identical twins.
Julie & Elizabeth.
Lexi & Tia.
Lindsay & Brook Nieset
Michael & Matthrew.
Two of Wayne's quadruplets are identical.
Darcie and Alison Glenn
Alexandra and Victoria
Alix and Kassi Barrack
Megan and Shannon
Cameron Parker and Christian Pierce Eagleson
Devyn and Jordan
Malcolm and Malek Baskerville
Cayla and Alexis
James and Bryan. (3 year old)
Eric and Kevin.
Gavriella and Layla.
MaKayla and Sydney.
Grown up Twins (including adult, teenagers and kids)
(My definition of "grown up" here is that the twins are old enough to maintain the sites themselves, or they are professionals and have agents who maintain their sites.)
(members of the monozygotic ring are in italic.)The Twin brothers, a musical group.
Torben & Jan Gundtofte-Bruun.
Gemini, identical twins singing group.
Kristie & Dana mirror image identical twins.
Elizabeth & Meredith Argeris (high school sophomores)
Johnny's World Devoted to Johnny Eck, showman, artist, and twin.
Monica & Monette (artist, housewife).
Lake & Flame mirror image identical twins.
the Lane's identical twins. (models)
Claire & Antoinette Cann (orchestral musicians).
Gemini28, identical twins singing group.
Sisters Grimm Rock Group.
Joanne & Liz Kukoda. (college students)
John & Charles Robinson.
Kathi & Janice
Kim and Kari Baker (wranglers).
Ryan Cabinte, identical twins. (college students)
Ryan & Brandon.
Ruth & Rachel Sandweiss. (writers) their book on twins.
Stephen and Tony Carter. (singers)
the Stover's identical twins.
Tamera & Tia Mowry (Actresses).
Michael and Martin McNamara (Kick-boxers).
Zandra and Alexandra.
Keith & Derek Brewer (male models).
Daniel and Samuel Chambers.
Adam and Jon Dobsons
Brittany and Cynthia Daniel (actresses).
Julie and Megan.
Jessica and Isabella
Ivan & Isaiah Sullivan (fashion models)
Courtney and Cheyenne.
Rob and Rick (students at IUPUI).
Alexandra and Nat Cau(15 yrs old student in Sweden).
Arianne and Amanda.
Mira and Ashely (14 yrs old students).
Jon and Jeff.
Nicholas[1|2] and Kelly Brendon(actor in Buffy the Vampire Slayer ).
Sara-Jayne and Melissa (16 yrs old Canadian girls).
Crystal Moon and Alyssa Raven Miller(17 yrs old Irish girls in Canada).
Micah and Tracy(19 yrs old college students).
Marlene and Jann (twin with twin daughters in South Africa).
Sherry and Terry.
Moffatts (musical group, Bob and Cliff are identical in a triplet).
The Quay brothers
Cliff.
Angel Ace.
Susan and Shirley Johnson (college students).
Rebekah and Hannah (8 yrs old).
Sam and Olivia(college student).
ROBERT ANSCHUETZ.
an graphic artist.
Marilyn. (lady 50+, in New Jersey).
tymetravler. (dutch women?).
Wahome Kinuthia (college student?).
Vidillia(an 14 yrs old).
Fictitious Twins
the Official Carlson Septuplets Page
Aaron & Erin Brown.
Sandy Cove
Karon Donnelly. (a real estate agent in a fictitious company)
Bananas in pyjamas. (identical twin bananas)
Articles on identical twins
Identical Astronauts
Mengele Twin
Cohen bros. hit big time on Ally McBeal
Article on identical twins Sean and Mark McGehearty
Article on identical twins Melodie & Melanie Elliott
Article on identical twins Alison and Lora Kermode
Article on 95 years old identical twins
A humorous poem
A rant
some fraternal twins sites
This list may include unconfirmed identical twins too.
The Baltus boys
Kim have two sets of fraternal twins
Mr. Park's twins
Connor & Nikolai
Robin's twins
Bryce and Shawn Hammer
Eleanor & Melanie
Abigail and Gabriele
Alisha and Alyssa
Courtney and Monica
Geoffrey & Genevieve
Tamara Lynn and Thomas Ryan
Rosie and Julia
Ross and Sam
Kimberly and Bret
Nicholas and Michelle
Nathan and Azrael
Jeffrey Esmond
Emma and Rebecca from Scotland.
Austin and Ashli
Heather and Lance
Lisa and Rene
Kevin & Justin
David & Joshua
Alexander & Josephine Compeau
Luke and Tameika
Steph and Stella
Aleks and Matt
Jordon and Jadyn?
Mark and Paul?
Liam and Carrington?
Ashley and Angela?
Francesca and Alice Colón?
Ellen and Rose?
Corey and Christian?
Spencer, Ryan and Travis?
Rojas Twins
Premature babies
- Premature babies have transparent skin. You can see the blood vessels through the skin.
- Premature babies have proportionally longer limbs.
- Premature babies have downy fur on their back and shoulder.
- Premature babies have soft ears that stick to the head.
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