• Question: Are sames twins a good or a bad thing? Are they unhealthy?

    Asked by tomorr to Akshat, Gemma, Aime, Diana, Judith on 21 Jun 2011. This question was also asked by kennithkenniff, jabber8.
    • Photo: Akshat Rathi

      Akshat Rathi answered on 15 Jun 2011:

      There is nothing bad about identical twins. As for them being, unhealthy it might be that because the mother’s womb was small the twins had to be removed before the usual time and that might mean that they were born weak. But if this happens then doctors keep these babies in the incubator (which is like a simulated mother’s womb) for the remaining time and the babies become healthy.

      This means that they go on to be healthy kids and healthy adults. I am friends with a few identical twins and they are really nice people and very healthy too.

    • Photo: Gemma Sharp

      Gemma Sharp answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      As Akshat says, a lot of twins grow up to be healthy adults and are absolutely fine. I know someone who is one of a triplet. He’s a chemistry PhD student, his sister is a clinical doctor and his brother has a really good well-paid job doing something else!

      BUT, there is a much higher chance of twins being seriously ill when they’re babies. Twins are 8 times more likely to be born with cerebral palsy than single pregnancy babies. Identical twins are at a particularly high risk of being seriously ill or dying because quite often they share the same placenta and so they have to share the nutrients and blood supply during their development.

      Twins are also more at risk of being born too early, through premature labour and because doctors might decide it’ll be better for the babies to get them out early by caesarian sections. That means that they’re often underdeveloped when they’re born and as Akshat says they have to be kept in incubators to keep them warm. An incubator is no way as good as the womb though at looking after a baby that’s not yet fully developed.

      So I would never say twins were a bad thing (no baby is a bad thing!) and they can definitely grow up to be really healthy clever people, but knowing what I do about the risks during pregnancy, I could never say that twins were a good thing. It’s more healthy to have single baby pregnancies.

    • Photo: Judith McCann

      Judith McCann answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      I’m just going to repeating what they said

      They tend to be smaller because identical twins share the same placenta, so nutrients and oxygen from their mum. The tend to be born earlier so may have to stay in hospital longer to make sure all the right bits have developed properly!

Comments

  • Photo: Gemma

    Gemma commented on :

    Couldn’t help but join in here since it’s my field, sorry!

    Actually multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets etc) are very dangerous for the mother and the babies, because they are nearly always born premature (when they’re not fully developed). Identical twins are particularly at risk of not getting enough nutrients while they’re developing, because they share a placenta (the organ that supplies babies with nutrients from the mother).

    Luckily, as Akshat says, hospitals can do a lot for twins and premature babies when they’re born and so twins can go on to lead normal healthy lives.

    Sorry to butt in but I couldn’t resist :/ I’ll shut up now 😉

  • Photo: Akshat

    Akshat commented on :

    Thanks for this. I did not know that identical twins share a placenta. I thought that if there is more than one baby then there is more than one placenta.

    Also, I did not interpret from the question whether he wanted to ask if it is unhealthy for the mother or for the twins. 🙂