Can the twin gene be passed down?

Can the twin gene be passed down?

When both eggs are fertilized, the resulting siblings are fraternal twins. Because this gene can be passed on, the tendency to have fraternal twins can in fact run in families. Identical twins, on the other hand, result from one fertilized egg randomly splitting in two, creating two siblings with identical DNA.

Does having twins run in the family?

Remember, monozygotic (identical) twins don’t run in families—they are random. You may not know if your great-granduncles were identical or not and often there is no way to know for sure without DNA testing. That being said, twins that share a close physical resemblance are more likely to be identical than fraternal.

What affects the chances of having twins?

Factors that increase the chance of twins include: consuming high amounts of dairy foods and conceiving over the age of 30, and while breastfeeding. Many fertility drugs including Clomid, Gonal-F, and Follistim increase the odds of a twin pregnancy.

Are you more likely to have twins if you are a twin?

Your chances of having fraternal twins may be higher if you’re a fraternal twin yourself or if fraternal twins run in your family. One reason for this may be hyperovulation, which is a situation where the body releases two or more eggs during ovulation — basically a requirement for having fraternal twins.

Do you cramp more with twins?

With a twin pregnancy, your body makes high levels of pregnancy hormones. So morning sickness may come on earlier and stronger than if you were carrying a single baby. You may also have earlier and more intense symptoms from pregnancy, like swelling, heartburn, leg cramps, bladder discomfort, and sleep problems.

Do twins hide in ultrasounds?

Technically, a twin can hide out in your uterus, but only for so long. It’s not unheard of for a twin pregnancy to go undetected in early ultrasounds (say, around 10 weeks).