ASK DR. H: Twins can have different fathers
Q: I know someone who is fostering twin infants that they believe may have different fathers. I never knew that something like this could even be possible. How rare is it? — F.W., Roswell
A: It’s very rare — roughly a one in a million occurrence. There are just a few DNA-verified cases around the world. Closer to home, a couple from Dallas was perplexed that their twin infants had very different facial features. The mother’s concerns that something just wasn’t right prompted DNA testing of the children. The test results from Clear Diagnostics DNA Lab confirmed their suspicions: The twins were half-brothers from different fathers.
The mother’s infidelity led to a rare double conception where sperm from two men fertilized two eggs. The medical explanation is that there is a 24- to 48-hour period during ovulation when this can occur.
Dr. Mitchell Hecht is a physician specializing in internal medicine. Send questions to him at: “Ask Dr. H,” P.O. Box 767787, Roswell, GA 30076. Because of the large volume of mail received, personal replies are not possible.
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2 comments Add your comment
Marie Braun
October 25th, 2009
11:54 am
How could twins know if they had different fathers if the father has been long dead(over 40 years) and also the man or men who might be the father have been long dead?
James
November 2nd, 2009
2:16 pm
This rare occurance is called superfecundation.