My friend just had twin girls, they do not look alike. One looks like the dad and the other like the mom. The hospital said they have the same blood type and now they are telling everyone the girls are identical. I just wondered if this is true, because the girls had separate sacs and placentas. The same hospital told someone else I know that they would have to pay for a DNA test on their own. So is it possible that the girls are identical or that their mother just misunderstood when they told her the blood type was identical?
2007-05-31 03:01:17 · 6 answers · asked by Amber 1 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Other - Pregnancy & Parenting
Just a blood test, no, but it could eliminate the possibility that they are identical. If their blood types are different they cannot be genetically identical twins. If the blood types are the same it proves nothing (for example, 40% of the world has blood type O negative).
A genetic test would settle the issue, but obvious differences in appearance of the twins would lead one to think that the twins are fraternal. The hospital is correct that your friend would need to pay for a DNA test if they want to know for sure - there does not seem to be any legitimate medical reason that they need the test (like, for example, for organ donation from one twin to the other), where health insurance would cover the test.
Separate plascentas neither proves nor disproves whether twins are identical. If the blastula split before implantation identical twins can have separate plascentas.
2007-05-31 03:11:38 · answer #1 · answered by Kent W 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The blood type alone would not indicate that they are identical twins. In fact depending on the parents blood type they might not be able to produce children with different blood types.
A DNA test would be required. That can be done with a swab of the inside of the mouth.
Identical twins are formed when a fertilized egg splits and each half develops independently, so each baby has the exact same DNA.
Twins that are not indentical are called fraternal. Fraternal twins develop from 2 different eggs and 2 different sperm and no more closely related (genetically) than other siblings.
2007-05-31 03:14:08 · answer #2 · answered by frugernity 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have twin boys and was told that they were identical. I never thought that because I could see differences in them from day one. They have the same blood type but after having my ped look into the placental report, it was discovered that although they appeared to share a placenta, it was fused. Meaning there were two that looked liked one. Having the same blood type doesn't mean identical. The only true way to tell is through DNA.
2007-05-31 04:13:58 · answer #3 · answered by blondie7795 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Having identical blood type means nothing. The whole family can have the same blood type.
She has fraternal twins, which means there were two separate eggs. They are just regular sisters, born at the same time.
2007-05-31 03:05:28 · answer #4 · answered by Tina Goody-Two-Shoes 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
they need a DNA test to see if they are identical.
there are millions of people in the world with the same blood type, are we all identical to 1,000,000 others? i cant tell.
you friend misunderstood maybe because it's cooler to have identical twins eh?
Or did they get a DNA test?
2007-05-31 03:06:01 · answer #5 · answered by jezza 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Seperate sacs means that they are fraternal twins. Identical twins share the same sac.
2007-05-31 04:23:44 · answer #6 · answered by zeus112999 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋