The results suggest that twin fetuses are aware of their counterparts in the womb, that they prefer to interact with them, and that they respond to them in special ways. Contact between them appeared to be planned—not an accidental outcome of spatial proximity, says study co-author Cristina Becchio of Turin.
"A lot of what goes on between the twins is implicit and unspoken; often they do know what the twin is feeling without having to ask or explain," she said. "It's a knowing without explaining … It's more about the intensity of their bond and closeness rather than being witchcrafty or magical."
Extrasensory perception, or ESP, in twins is assumed to be more common in monozygotic (identical) twins because they share a closer genetic connection. But dizygotic (fraternal) twins aren't excluded from feeling a special mental connection with their twin.
The five pairs of twins were studied during two separate recording sessions carried out at the 14th and 18th week of gestation. The first 20-minute recording sessions showed the unborn twins touching each other as well as themselves, and the uterine wall.
Twins Become Aware of Each Other in the Utero
According to multiple studies that include 3D ultrasounds, twins start to reach out and touch each other in the womb starting at about 14 weeks. At about 18 weeks, they touch each other more often.
Now a study suggests that the propensity for social interactions exists in the womb. Twins begin interacting as early as the 14th week of gestation.
It is likely that twins' awareness of one another starts sooner than seven or eight months of age. An article by the late doctor, T. Berry Brazelton, observed that at age three to four months, an infant identical female twin seemed disoriented when her sister was removed from the room.
Identical twins share a particularly intense bond. They are the result of one fertilized egg splitting into two, giving them identical DNA. (Fraternal twins are the result of two separate, genetically different fertilized eggs.) As a result, identical twins are as close as two people can be.
In some instances, the dead twin is compressed into a flattened, parchment-like state known as fetus papyraceus. Vanishing twins occur in up to one of every eight multifetus pregnancies and may not even be known in most cases.
They're completely separate and don't touch one another in the womb. Having their own placentas mean they take in their nutrients separately.
So, the answer to our question seems to be that, no, twins do not have any special spidey sense about each other. They may be very close, very similar in manner, habits and health, but this doesn't mean they share some otherworldly connection that the rest of us don't have.
Twins share the same genes but their environments become more different as they age. This unique aspect of twins makes them an excellent model for understanding how genes and the environment contribute to certain traits, especially complex behaviors and diseases.
Maureen Healy, an expert on sensitive children and author of Growing Happy Kids, tells Romper that twins have a bond that is oftentimes unexplainable and are closer than typical siblings — whether they're fraternal or identical. Healy says a lot of experts believe it's because this closeness is rooted in genetics.
Some twins share the lower part of the small intestine (ileum) and the longest part of the large intestine (colon). They generally do not share a heart.
Being a twin has its benefits—tricking people, having a lifelong companion, sharing clothes—but it also has downsides. Many twins struggle to cultivate their own identities, while being so similar to one another. And that struggle lasts a lifetime, according to a recent study.
Vanishing twin syndrome was first recognized in 1945. This occurs when a twin or multiple disappears in the uterus during pregnancy as a result of a miscarriage of one twin or multiple. The fetal tissue is absorbed by the other twin, multiple, placenta or the mother. This gives the appearance of a “vanishing twin.”
The quick answer to this question is that, in a twin pregnancy, it is the mother's genes that determine twins. First up, giving birth to identical twins is not genetic, but conceiving fraternal twins is. The mother may have the genetic trait of releasing two eggs in one menstrual cycle.
A womb twin survivor is someone who lost their twin or multiple anytime through pregnancy or shortly after birth; thus miscarriage, stillbirth, failed abortion, or neonatal death. It has been estimated that 10–15% of all single births were originally a multiple, often with a twin being lost within the first trimester.
Created with Sketch. Identical twins may say that they are not attracted to the same people. However, researcher Nancy Segal surmises that twins actually feel the same attractions, but as soon as one twin makes her interest known, the second twin will not pursue the other's object of interest.
Monoamniotic-monochorionic Twins
These types of twins share a chorion, placenta, and an amniotic sac. This is the rarest type of twin, and it means a riskier pregnancy as the babies can get tangled in their own umbilical cords.
"And when her (Rebekah) days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau. And after that came his brother out, his hand holding on to Esau's heel – " (Gen 25:24-26).
People over 30, and particularly those over age 35, are more likely to conceive twins. 4 This is because the level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) rises as birthing parents get older. FSH is responsible for the development of eggs in the ovaries before they are released.
For women born 1870-1899, moms of twins averaged reproductive spans of 14 years 11 months versus 14 years for singleton moms. Both results were statistically significant. Moms of twins also were older at the time of their last birth.
According to Guinness World Records, the longest confirmed interval between the birth of twins is 90 days. Fraternal twins Molly and Benjamin West were born on Jan. 1 and March 30, 1996, in Baltimore.
Cinematic-MRI shows twins vying for legroom in utero. MRI footage shows twin fetuses kicking each other. Dec. 3, 2012— -- Sibling rivalry can apparently begin even before birth and researchers in London have remarkable footage of twins fighting for legroom in the womb.