Being a parent of twins requires twice the amount of hard work and they get twice the number of questions from other parents and people. It’s understandable why some people can be fascinated by twins, they are one of a kind after all. But there are many misconceptions about twins which we will now discuss and debunk.
1. They Have Same DNA
The assumption that identical twins share the same DNA is not true. Many people believe this misconceptions about twins because identical twins are born from the same egg and so they must have everything identical. However, they share 99.99% of their DNA, but there’s that 1% which sets their DNA’s apart.
Twins born from two separate eggs, the fraternal twins, also don’t have the exact DNA. But, since they developed in the womb at the same time, their DNA’s match up to 50% or more than that.
2. They Have Identical Fingerprints
This could be the dumbest believed myth about twins. Don’t we all know the very famous fact that each of us has a unique fingerprint? The possibility of two people having identical fingerprints can happen 1 in 64 million chances. Twins are no exception from this fact, identical or fraternal, identical twins may have similar patterns but they are never identical.
3. They Must Look Identical
Have you not heard of dizygotic twins? Dizygotic twins or twin born from different eggs can be non-identical and be of different genders, in fact, the most common type of twins are the non-identical or fraternal twins.
Monozygotic twins or twins born from the same egg have everything similar and can be difficult to tell apart, but they can be differentiated too. In very rare cases, identical twins don’t look completely alike, they can have different eye color, different shape of the nose and so on. Remember, they don’t share 1% of their DNA which means each of them utilize their DNA differently.
4. They Run In The Family
This myth is true for fraternal twins, as the ability to produce more than one egg can be inherited, but it is not the case with identical twins – they are born randomly by luck.
If you really want identical twins, you can always opt for adopting them, but before that, you must thoroughly research on what happens if you adopt twins.
5. They Can Communicate Telepathically
This myth is believed because of all the nonsense movies and books fed us about twins. This myth that twins share secret communication between them or can read each other’s minds is, in fact, not at all true. There is no scientific study yet, which proves that twins share a special communication called the twin telepathy.
However, twins do share a twin language which others may not comprehend and even feel what the other twin is feeling, it is probably because they spend so much of their time together.
6. They Must Be Soulmates
Yes, twins spend a lot of their time together may even have similar hobbies and be each other’s best friends. But, that’s not it, they are not soul mates or one and the same, they can also have arguments or silly fights between them just like other siblings.
In spite of their similarities and a special relationship, twins are separate individuals on their own with distinct thought processes and must never be treated as though they are one.
7. They Can Only Be Delivered Through C-Section
There is a popular belief that twins can only be delivered through a cesarean, however, it is completely false. C-section deliveries are commonly requested for when you are expecting two babies, but twins can also be delivered naturally just like any other childbirth and a c-section may be required because of any medical reason.
In conclusion, if you held one of the above misconceptions about twins to be true, we hope to have cleared your false beliefs with solid facts.
