Yes, it is possible to have twins with different biological fathers. The scientific term for this anomaly is “heteropaternal superfecundation,” and it's super cool.
Only about 19 heteropaternal superfecundation cases worldwide have been reported to date. So, while it's not common, it's definitely possible for twins to have different fathers in a phenomenon called heteropaternal superfecundation.
Is it possible for a baby to have two biological fathers? Yes, it is possible for a baby to have two biological fathers through the phenomenon known as “bipaternalism” or “heteropaternal superfecundation”.
Twins born with separate fathers are rare in the human population. Although there isn't much known about heteropaternal superfecundation — as it's known in the scientific community — a study published in The Guardian, says about one in every 400 sets of fraternal twins has different fathers.
It is inferred that superfecundation by the same man is relatively common and that therefore dizygotic twins quite often have different gestational ages.
Medically, this 7-year defect is very rare. Twins are typically born with a bit of a delay — a few minutes to a few hours.
Yes, you read that right. Twins (non-identical) can be born at completely different times, sometimes even years apart.
Identical, or monozygotic (MZ), twins have 100 percent of their genes—including those that influence risk for alcoholism—in common, whereas fraternal, or dizygotic (DZ), twins share (on average) only 50 percent of the genes that vary in the population (see figure). Common Environmental Sources.
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.
The third parent
When defective mitochondria of the woman's egg were replaced with mitochondria from a donor who did not carry the mutation, the resulting child carried DNA from three people: the female nuclear DNA donor, the male nuclear DNA or sperm donor, and the female mitochondria donor.
Combining two sperm wouldn't work. There just isn't enough in a sperm to sustain an embryo early on. What about removing the DNA from an egg, and adding two sperm to that? Theoretically you'd end up with a child with the DNA of both dads, and just a bit of the donor's DNA.
Right along that DNA-sharing spectrum, “semi-identical” twins share anywhere from 50% to 100% of their genomes, researchers say. And they're extremely, extremely rare. The only other reported case of sesquizygotic twins was reported in the United States in 2007.
Occasionally, two sperm are known to fertilize a single egg; this 'double fertilization' is thought to happen in about 1% of human conceptions. An embryo created this way doesn't usually survive, but a few cases are known to have made it — these children are chimaeras of cells with X and Y chromosomes.
A dad who's one of a twin may inherit the gene, but it won't increase his chances of having twins too, because the gene only affects ovulation. The same dad may pass on the gene to his daughter, who then goes on to get pregnant with twins, making it look like twins have skipped a generation .
Superfetation is a rare event that involves getting pregnant a second time while you're already pregnant. It's so uncommon that cases of superfetation often make headlines.
Polar Body Twins or “Half Identical”
What happens when the egg splits and then each half meets a sperm? That's what scientists and researchers propose happens when a polar body or “half-identical” twins form. These twins are very much alike but aren't a 100% DNA match — sharing about 75% of their genetic DNA.
What is it? 'Mirror image' is a type of identical twinning. It can happen in any type of identical twins. When the split occurs late - more than a week after conception - the twins can develop reverse asymmetric features. This term is not really a type of twin, just a way to describe their physical features.
A rainbow baby is a child born after the loss of a previous pregnancy or newborn. Read Caitlin's story, and learn about her two miraculous rainbow babies. You've heard of a rainbow baby, a child born after the loss of a previous pregnancy or newborn. What's less common is having two rainbow babies in the same home.
Because identical twins share all of their genes, their measurements of IQ and sleep time will be more similar the bigger role genes play in it (i.e., differences between two identical twins must be caused by the environment because their genes are the same).
The mean absolute difference between twins is 6.60 (SD = 5.20), the largest difference being 24 IQ points. The frequency of large twin differences is no more than would be expected from the normal probability curve.
Septuplets (7)
The Frustaci septuplets (born 21 May 1985, in Orange, California) are the first septuplets to be born in the United States. Born at 28 weeks, only two boys and one girl survived; one daughter was stillborn and three died within 19 days of birth.
About 1 in 3 of all sets of twin births are vaginal births. You may choose to have an elective caesarean, or your doctor may recommend a caesarean section because of potential complications. Even if you plan a vaginal birth, you may end up having an emergency caesarean section due to complications during labour.
The world's only nonuplets - nine babies born at the same time - are "in perfect health" as they celebrate their first birthday, their father has told the BBC.