Why are twins identical and different? & bull; hello healthy

"They are twins, but how come their faces don't look alike, huh?" Surely you have ever thought like that when you saw twins. Twins do not mean all the same, there are even pairs of twins who have different body shapes so that each is very easy to recognize.

There are indeed two types of twins, and it is for this reason that there are pairs of twins who are not exactly the same while others are exactly alike.

What are the different types of twins?

Different from what many might think, identical twins only occur in one out of three sets of twins. The larger number, that is, two-thirds of the twins, are non-identical twins.

How do identical twins come about?

Identical twins (monozygous) occur when one egg is released by the body and is fertilized by one sperm. The fertilized egg then divides into two, so that there are two fetuses in one egg. Because they come from the same egg, identical twins share the same genes, so that these identical twins will then have the exact same appearance and always have the same sex.

These identical twins are not influenced by the age of the mother or offspring, it can happen to couples who do not have twins in their family at all. This is a spontaneous occurrence and occurs randomly.

If the egg divides very early (in the first two days after the egg is fertilized by a sperm), the egg will develop a separate placenta (chorion) and amniotic sac (amnion). These are called diamniotic dichorionic twins, and about 20-30% of identical twins experience this.

If the egg divides after 2 days of fertilization of the sperm, this will cause the fetus to share the placenta, but there are two separate amniotic sacs. These are called diamniotic monochorionic twins. As a result, these twins are very similar genetically.

There are also identical twins who share the same placenta and amniotic sac, but these cases are very rare, only about 1% of identical twins. This happens because the eggs are too late to divide. These twins are called monochorion monoamniotic twins.

How is the process of twins not identical?

Non-identical twins (dizygotic) or also commonly called fraternal twins, occur when two separate eggs are released by the body, then both are fertilized by two sperm and then attach to the mother's womb. This causes non-identical twins to have genetics that are not all the same, so that the appearance of non-identical twins is a little different, for example, their faces are not exactly alike. Non-identical twins can also have different sexes.

This type of twins generally occurs when there are twins from the family (more likely if it is from the mother's family), or also usually occurs in women who are pregnant at old age. Pregnant women who are over 35 years of age have twice the likelihood of twins than those under them. This is because older mothers are more likely to release more than one egg. This twin pregnancy can also occur in mothers who take fertility drugs to help her get pregnant quickly.

Are there any signs if you are pregnant with twins?

Mothers who are pregnant with twins usually show signs of pregnancy sooner. This happens because pregnant women with twins have higher levels of the hormone HCG (a hormone that indicates pregnancy). Other hormones related to pregnancy, such as the hormones progesterone and estrogen, are also higher, causing physical changes when pregnancy occurs earlier.

In multiple pregnancies, pregnancy problems, such as morning sickness Shortness of breath, back pain, swollen legs, or other health problems can be worse than a single pregnancy.

In addition, another sign if you are pregnant with twins is that your uterus will feel bigger. To be sure, you'd better do ultrasound scan (ultrasonography) . On ultrasound scan , You will see if there are two amniotic sacs or maybe two fetuses have been seen.

If you have multiple pregnancies, you should regularly check your pregnancy with your doctor to maintain the health of your pregnancy. There may be some differences in the pregnancy care you receive if you have multiple pregnancies because your risk of developing complications during pregnancy, such as high blood pressure and anemia, is higher if you have multiple pregnancies. Routine pregnancy checks that are more frequent can detect pregnancy complications earlier so that they can be given better care. Also, pay attention to your nutritional intake, especially folic acid and iron. You need more in multiple pregnancies.