Research-backed
Image: Shutterstock
Of course, giving birth to twins can be quite a handful. But then, you still adore and love them nonetheless. In fact, if you have ever met twins or been acquainted with them, there are a few things about them which you will think of as absolutely fascinating. In fact, you may have even found yourself asking them a trillion questions, trying to understand how it is actually like to be in their shoes. Or, just a simple question about how life is like for them. For instance, do they share the infamous “twin connection” which is spoken about by one and all?
We, at MomJunction, recently came across a story that blew our minds. This is one “twin” story that just goes on to show how incredibly fascinating childbirth can be. A mother from Vietnam delivered twins that have two different dads. Yes, you’ve heard that right! If you need to take a second to process this news, go ahead. We know that feeling. We too did a double-take when we heard this news for the first time.
Yes, it is indeed the rarest of a rare case. And, such twins are known as bi-parental twins. The reason why the parents were taken for a test was due to the noticeable stark differences when it comes to their appearances.
Image: Shutterstock
If two separate eggs of a woman are fertilized by the sperm of two different men, then it is possible for her to give birth to twins who have different fathers. However, this can only happen if the mother indulges in lovemaking with the two men within the same ovulation window (1). You can compare this situation with getting pregnant during your menstruation – ‘while it is rare, it is not totally impossible’.
Le Dinh Luong, who is the Genetic Association of Vietnam’s president, stated how this is an extremely rare case. He spoke of how the Center for Genetic Analysis and Technology in Vietnam has found one pair of bi-parental twins after some testings. He further said how such an occurrence was not only rare for Vietnam, but it is for the entire world.
The result had indicated how the man in the family was related to only one of the two babies. It was, in fact, suggested to the man by the family to get a DNA test done. This was because the twins, who are now two years old, were looking completely different.
Image: Shutterstock
TRIVIA: Similarly, back in 2009, a piece of similar news came to light in Texas, United States, where Mia Washington was stunned when the doctors informed her that her 11-month-old twins didn’t have the same dads. She, along with her partner, had made this decision when she noticed that her twins, Jordan and Justin, had different facial features from one another.
The paternity tests held at the time had revealed that there was a 99.9 percent possibility that the twins had different fathers. Even the doctors from the DNA laboratory in Dallas, Texas, were shocked as they had never seen such a case before.
Mia later revealed that she was having an affair at the time, further confirming that she conceived at the same time with two different men. She mentioned how she was shocked that it had to happen to her only out of all the people in the world.
The Clear Diagnostics President, Genny Thibodeaux, had mentioned how it was totally crazy. She said that most people still don’t believe that such a thing is possible. But, Mia’s case revealed how this is very much a possibility.
Has this news surprised you as much as it surprised us? What are your thoughts on the same? Share with us in the comments section below!
