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    Twin babies' journal

    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

    • 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.

    Twins biology with diagrams.
    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

    white Twins: Development and Language
    white A Discovery Channel's note on "Multiple birth".
    white A nice TWINS info page by our Geocities neighbor.
    white Twinsburg, Ohio.
    white Twinsburg TWINS days .
    white twins world and twins restaurant and their book on twins
    white Lisa's twins list.
    white ToBuyTwo: Auction website for Multiples

    These sites are down:

    white National Online Father of Twins Club (yours truly is a member of this club.)
    white The TWINSource
    white Twinz Unlimited Web Page
    white Another informative TWINS info page.
    white Twins, Triplets, Multiples: TWINS Magazine
    white The how and why of Twins
    white Answers to some stupid questions about twins
    white Twin space
    white 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.)

    white Evert and Rik, a set of twins from the Netherlands (website is not in English)
    white the Limon's identical twins.
    white Sharon's identical twins.
    white Cade and Connor.
    white Mackenzie and Megan.
    white Amber and Melissa.
    white Kayla & Allison.
    white Maia & Olivia.
    white Hannah and Abigail (Kincaid)
    white Abigail and Hannah (Mahan)
    white Kirsten and Chesley (born at 28 wk gestation, surviver of TTTS)
    white Jennifer and Jacqueline
    white Emma & Maria.
    white Daniel and Christopher.
    white Sophie and Lauren Nield from north Wales.
    white Angie's identical twins.
    white Baylee & Bradlee.
    white Christopher & Stephen De Nise.
    white Jacob & Dylan mirror image identical twins.
    white Julie & Elizabeth.
    white Lexi & Tia.
    white Lindsay & Brook Nieset
    white Michael & Matthrew.
    white Two of Wayne's quadruplets are identical.
    white Darcie and Alison Glenn
    white Alexandra and Victoria
    white Alix and Kassi Barrack
    white Megan and Shannon
    white Cameron Parker and Christian Pierce Eagleson
    white Devyn and Jordan
    white Malcolm and Malek Baskerville
    white Cayla and Alexis
    white James and Bryan. (3 year old)
    white Eric and Kevin.
    white Gavriella and Layla.
    white 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.)

    white The Twin brothers, a musical group.
    white Torben & Jan Gundtofte-Bruun.
    white Gemini, identical twins singing group.
    white Kristie & Dana mirror image identical twins.
    white Elizabeth & Meredith Argeris (high school sophomores)
    white Johnny's World Devoted to Johnny Eck, showman, artist, and twin.
    white Monica & Monette (artist, housewife).

    white Lake & Flame mirror image identical twins.
    white the Lane's identical twins. (models)
    white Claire & Antoinette Cann (orchestral musicians).
    white Gemini28, identical twins singing group.
    white Sisters Grimm Rock Group.
    white Joanne & Liz Kukoda. (college students)
    white John & Charles Robinson.
    white Kathi & Janice
    white Kim and Kari Baker (wranglers).
    white Ryan Cabinte, identical twins. (college students)
    white Ryan & Brandon.
    white Ruth & Rachel Sandweiss. (writers) their book on twins.
    white Stephen and Tony Carter. (singers)
    white the Stover's identical twins.
    white Tamera & Tia Mowry (Actresses).
    white Michael and Martin McNamara (Kick-boxers).
    white Zandra and Alexandra.
    white Keith & Derek Brewer (male models).
    white Daniel and Samuel Chambers.
    white Adam and Jon Dobsons
    white Brittany and Cynthia Daniel (actresses).
    white Julie and Megan.
    white Jessica and Isabella
    white Ivan & Isaiah Sullivan (fashion models)
    white Courtney and Cheyenne.
    white Rob and Rick (students at IUPUI).
    white Alexandra and Nat Cau(15 yrs old student in Sweden).
    white Arianne and Amanda.
    white Mira and Ashely (14 yrs old students).
    white Jon and Jeff.
    white Nicholas[1|2] and Kelly Brendon(actor in Buffy the Vampire Slayer ).
    white Sara-Jayne and Melissa (16 yrs old Canadian girls).
    white Crystal Moon and Alyssa Raven Miller(17 yrs old Irish girls in Canada).
    white Micah and Tracy(19 yrs old college students).

    white Marlene and Jann (twin with twin daughters in South Africa).
    white Sherry and Terry.
    white Moffatts (musical group, Bob and Cliff are identical in a triplet).
    white The Quay brothers
    white Cliff.
    white Angel Ace.
    white Susan and Shirley Johnson (college students).
    white Rebekah and Hannah (8 yrs old).
    white Sam and Olivia(college student).
    white ROBERT ANSCHUETZ.
    white an graphic artist.
    white Marilyn. (lady 50+, in New Jersey).
    white tymetravler. (dutch women?).
    white Wahome Kinuthia (college student?).
    white Vidillia(an 14 yrs old).

    Fictitious Twins

    white the Official Carlson Septuplets Page
    white Aaron & Erin Brown.
    white Sandy Cove
    white Karon Donnelly. (a real estate agent in a fictitious company)
    white Bananas in pyjamas. (identical twin bananas)

    Articles on identical twins

    white Identical Astronauts
    white Mengele Twin
    white Cohen bros. hit big time on Ally McBeal
    white Article on identical twins Sean and Mark McGehearty
    white Article on identical twins Melodie & Melanie Elliott
    white Article on identical twins Alison and Lora Kermode
    white Article on 95 years old identical twins
    white A humorous poem
    white A rant

    some fraternal twins sites

    This list may include unconfirmed identical twins too.
    white The Baltus boys
    white Kim have two sets of fraternal twins
    white Mr. Park's twins
    white Connor & Nikolai
    white Robin's twins
    white Bryce and Shawn Hammer
    white Eleanor & Melanie
    white Abigail and Gabriele
    white Alisha and Alyssa
    white Courtney and Monica
    white Geoffrey & Genevieve
    white Tamara Lynn and Thomas Ryan
    white Rosie and Julia
    white Ross and Sam
    white Kimberly and Bret
    white Nicholas and Michelle
    white Nathan and Azrael
    white Jeffrey Esmond
    white Emma and Rebecca from Scotland.
    white Austin and Ashli
    white Heather and Lance
    white Lisa and Rene
    white Kevin & Justin
    white David & Joshua
    white Alexander & Josephine Compeau
    white Luke and Tameika
    white Steph and Stella
    white Aleks and Matt
    white Jordon and Jadyn?
    white Mark and Paul?
    white Liam and Carrington?
    white Ashley and Angela?
    white Francesca and Alice Colón?
    white Ellen and Rose?
    white Corey and Christian?
    white Spencer, Ryan and Travis?
    white 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.

    white Comprehensive Index on Pregnancy, Maternity, Infertility and Babies!

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