How Do You Know If Your Twins Are Identical?

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Naturally, if a mother wants to immediately find out whether the baby she contains is identical or not. Regardless of the mother's curiosity, the doctor will examine the womb to adjust the treatment if it turns out that the twins are in one placenta (monocorionic twins).

Mothers who contain identical babies are more prone to complications during pregnancy. Although most monocorionic twins are born healthy, as many as 15% of twins from one placenta are experienced twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). TTT is a placental disorder that causes one baby to receive too much blood while the other twin receives too little blood intake.

If it is known to contain monocorionic twins, you need special supervision so that you will go back and forth to the hospital more often for examinations and scans.

What are the signs of identical twin births?

The sonogram will do an ultrasound scan to see the condition of the baby and placenta in the first trimester examination. This scan is done before the gestational age of 14 weeks.

Ultrasound findings in twins can be:

Dichorionic diamniotic (DCDA)

Each baby has a placenta, an inner membrane (amnion), and each outer membrane (chorion). DCDA is a feature of one third of identical twins and all non-identical twins, so that DCDA twins can be identical, or not.

Monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA)

Both babies are in one placenta and the outer membrane is the same, but have a membrane in each. MCDA is a characteristic of two-thirds of identical twins, so MCDA twins are certainly identical.

Monochorionic monoamniotic (MCMA)

Both babies are in the same placenta, outer membrane and inner membrane. MCDA twins are very rare cases and only 1% of all identical twins occur. MCMA twins are certainly identical.

How accurate are the scans of pregnancy?

A second scan may be performed if the initial scan results cannot be ascertained as accuracy.

An ultrasound scan is a relatively accurate method for checking the condition of twins and placenta. However, there is no guarantee that the results of ultrasound can ensure that the womb is an identical twin or not. Being in one placenta is indeed a feature of identical twins, but the condition of the placenta observed through ultrasound has not guaranteed certainty because even non-identical twin placentas can fuse into one.

When carrying the same genetic makeup, identical twins must be genetically identical and always of the same sex. Chances are you will have two daughters or two sons.

Are identical twins easier to ascertain when the baby is born?

If it turns out that the twins born are a pair of men and women, of course they are not identical twins.

If it turns out twins born of the same sex and each have their own placenta, both babies can be identical, or not.

You might be able to find out the certainty of having identical twins at birth after the doctor carefully examines the placenta. Blood tests can also be done through the umbilical cord of each baby. The placenta can be sent to the laboratory to be examined whether the twins are identical or not. But usually, this test is only done on medical grounds.

After the baby is born, you can check for identical twin signs, such as:

Blood group
Eye color
Hair color
The shape of the legs, hands and ears
Tooth pattern

If you are still curious, you can do a DNA test on a baby. DNA testing is the most accurate method for knowing whether twins are identical or not.

Through DNA testing or zygosity determination, types of twins - identical (monozygous) or fraternal (dizygotic) twins - can be known. This test is done by taking a small sample of cheek cells to send to the laboratory. These cells are taken from the baby's mouth using cotton bud.

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