Facts and figures
Researchers
at the Australian Twin Registry
http://www.twins.org.au/
at Melbourne University have estimated that in
Australia one in 80 births will result in twins, while one in
every 6,400 births will produce triplets, and that quadruplets
will be the outcome of only one in 512,000 births.
What kind are
they?
Identical, or
monozygotic (Mz) twins arise from a single egg being fertilised
by a single sperm. The twins' genes are identical, and are
always the same sex (boy-boy or girl-girl pairs).
Fraternal, or
dizygotic (Dz) twins arise from two different eggs being
fertilised by two different sperm, and, like any siblings, have
about 25% of their genes in common. Half of all fraternal twins
are boy-girl twin pairs, a quarter are boy-boy, and the
remaining 25% are girl-girl.
The fertility of
twins falls in the same range as the rest of the population.
Women who are themselves fraternal twins have a 10% chance of
producing twins, identical twin women have only a 0.6%
probability of having a twin birth.
Once a woman
conceives twins, she has a 5% (that's one in twenty) chance of
having twins again. There are no interesting parallels to these
percentages among dads! A man who is a twin has the same
probability of fathering twins as any other man.
Exciting!
The prospect
of having twins can be both thrilling and daunting! Reading
the books and pamphlets that abound (and, for that matter,
surfing the net for information) can be both reassuring and
worrying as issues that the expectant parents may not have
considered before are frequently raised. We know for example,
that complications during delivery occur more often in twin
births than in singleton births, and that prematurity and low
birth weight are more common in twins than in singletons.
One of the best
preparations the expectant mother of twins can make is to ensure
that she has adequate rest, nutrition and sensible exercise
during pregnancy. This is generally easier for first-time
mothers to achieve. If these goals can be accomplished, then the
health of both the mother and the babies can be optimised.
Support
Knowing in
advance that twins are on the way allows parents to prepare
emotionally and practically. There are well established support
groups in Australia for multiple birth families linked through
the
Australian Multiple Births
Association (AMBA). Among the services and support offered
by AMBA are newsletters, library services, videos, an education
program, telephone support, home and hospital visiting,
discussion groups, social activities, pram and stroller hire, an
equipment exchange and a clothing pool. An important role AMBA
fulfils is to provide information and support for bereaved and
special needs families.
Those who don't
like the idea of participating in a community twins organisation
may we wise to develop their own informal network in advance.
Plans could include arrangements for both parents to be around
as much as possible in the weeks following the twins'
homecoming, and arrange for a relative or other helper to assist
with housework or with your other children while you are getting
established in a routine.
Baby gear
Twins can
share a certain amount of baby gear, but it is necessary to have
two of certain items ready, for example: two bassinets or cots,
two capsules, a twin-stroller (the face-to-face style is often
easier to manage), two sets of bedding and clothing, and two
high chairs. It is helpful to think about home safety before it
is actually necessary and to invest in some child safe locks. As
"accomplices" twins can get up to a lot of mischief.
If the house and garden are twin proofed the task of keeping an
eye on them both is made easier.
Siblings
Older
siblings need to be prepared. It is unwise to suddenly
"start" them at day care or preschool as soon as the
twins arrive home. Any changes to their routine are best made
before the twins are born, or deferred until they have adjusted
to the inevitable changes they will bring to the family
dynamics. Siblings may need to be reassured that they are
special and loved. If they are jealous it may help them if they
talk about their feelings.
The early weeks
Twins may
attract more visitors than normal to the household, at a time
when the new parents may be quite sleep deprived. Research has
demonstrated that fatigue is the main trigger for depression in
new parents. Of course, maternal depression is good for neither
mother nor babies. A National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development (NICHD) study of depressed mothers in the USA showed in part that:
Lower levels
of maternal sensitivity in depressed mothers partly explained
their children's poorer school readiness, verbal
comprehension, and expressive language and higher rates of
problem behaviour. This suggests that depression can lead to
less sensitive maternal behaviour which, in turn, leads to
poorer child development.
It is a good idea
to have a strategy in place so that the mother does not wear
herself to a standstill providing hospitality to grandparents,
friends and neighbours who have come to play with the twins.
Say yes!
Some parents
of twins have a "to do" list posted on the fridge for
anyone who volunteers, and others make a firm decision to say
"yes" if friends offer practical help. Many new
mothers report a sense of being tied to the house and being
bogged down in a seemingly endless round of nappies, baths,
feeds and household chores.
Babysitters
Even if her
partner shares these tasks the full-time, stay-at-home mother can resent his opportunity
to
"escape" to work, while fathers can feel marginalised
and unappreciated. Regular use of babysitters from an early
stage, so that the mother can have a rest, go out on her own,
catch up on her interests, or so that the parents can spend time
alone, can alleviate these stresses without threatening the
bonds between babies and parents.
Feeding
Demand
feeding, or feeding infants according to their individual
patterns, can be lengthy and tiring with twins. An option many
parents prefer is a modified demand schedule where the baby who
wakes first is fed, and then the other baby is woken up for his
or her feed. If both babies are good feeders simultaneous
feeding is an option. Mothers often need encouragement and
support, as well as adequate rest, to persist and feel confident
about with breast-feeding twins.
Intelligence
The
intelligence (IQs) of identical twins rarely varies more than
five points, while the IQs of fraternal twins may be as
different as those for any siblings in a family.
Social development
Identical
twins usually have very similar social development. Each is
typically about as outgoing and communicative as the other, and
they tend to share similar attitudes, feelings and reactions.
Fraternal twins, on the other hand, differ from each other as
any siblings would.
Closeness and
dependency
Girl-girl
twin pairs twins, especially identical twins are inclined to be
more dependent on each other than boy-girl or boy-boy twins.
Identical girl-girl twins are also likely to have an emotional
closeness all their lives. In descending order, closeness and
dependency are strongest in fraternal girls, then identical
boys, then fraternal boys, and finally fraternal boy-girl twin
pairs. Identical girls are most likely to remain very close
throughout life, followed by fraternal girls, identical boys,
fraternal boys and boy/girl pairs.
Individuality
Twins'
closeness may make them conservative about socialising with
others. They may make a communicative little team, but then be
very shy when they have to branch out on their own.
Friendships,
individual outings, and individual treats will help to foster
individual confidence. Others should be encouraged to call them
by name, rather than referring to them both as "the twins"
or to either of them as "twinnie".
Nurturing simple
decision-making ("Shall we have pizza or spaghetti?")
and making choices ("Which book will you choose?")
from an early age helps each twin to become an identity.
Allowing one twin
to be spokesperson for the pair needs to be discouraged.
As they grow
older twins can start to express their individuality by having
different clothing and their own special stories, memories and
possessions. They should each have their own "space",
a place to keep their special treasures, and their own storage
(or storage section) for clothes and books. This is particularly
important in terms of learning to share. Children cannot share
until they understand "ownership". Twins usually learn
about sharing and co-operation earlier than singletons, which
means they are often popular with other children as play
companions. "Twin
language"
A fascinating
part of many twins development is the emergence of idioglossia,
or "twin language". Recent research in Australia and
overseas suggests that twin language is most often seen in twins
with immature or disordered language, especially when the twins
are performing at the same developmental level.
An interesting
Australian study found that twins were less adventurous in their
use of words when playing with each other than they were when
they played and chatted to adults. They used simple language and
fewer words when they talked to each other. A British study
showed that twin language is higher (around 50%) in twins with
speech and language difficulties than for twins with normal
language (11%).
Speech and
language development
Late onset of
speech, and speech and language difficulties, including
stuttering, are more common in twins than in singletons. This is
because twins are frequently premature or low birth weight
babies, and their parents may have less time to attend to them
individually and to help them develop verbal skills.
Late talking
twins
A child is considered to be a "late
talker" if they have a spoken vocabulary of less than 50
words at 24 months. This does not mean that the 50 words have to
be pronounced perfectly - two year olds are supposed to talk
baby talk!
If twins are late
to talk it is important not to assume that they will
automatically "catch up" in time. it is a wise
precaution to take them for "baseline" assessment by a
speech pathologist who will monitor their progress at intervals,
provide helpful advice and guidance, and suggest therapy if
necessary.
Fostering speech and language development
A few simple
strategies can be employed to help twins' language development.
Some of these are easier said than done in busy families,
especially if you are sleep deprived!
-
Make a point of
learning to recognise, and seize opportunities, as they
occur, to talk to one twin at a time.
-
As well, actively
create opportunities to talk to one twin at a time. For
example: a couple of nights a week bath them separately;
when the family goes for a walk, one parent take one twin
around the block in one direction, and the other parent take
the rest of the family around the block in the other
direction, and meet up; on family walks, have one parent and
a twin leave earlier or later than the rest of family, and
meet at the destination.
-
When you give
directions to your twins, give them to each twin
individually (not to both at once). Make your directions or
instructions simple and specific, using a minimum of words,
but remaining grammatical. e.g., "John, put your socks
in the basket..." then "Lucy, put your socks in
the basket too".
-
When a twin follows a
direction (does what s/he is asked or told to do) praise him
or her individually. Don't let your twins always have to
make do with joint praise. e.g., "Thank you John. It's
a good help when you put your socks in the basket for
Daddy" then "Oh Lucy! That's great. You put your
socks in the basket just like I said".
-
When you are playing
with both children, or doing an activity with them, try to
have one twin finish their conversation with you. Let each
twin have two or three or four conversational
"turns" (you speak, child speaks, you speak, child
speaks...). Make sure they have said what they need to say,
and had a chance to listen, without interruption, to what
you are telling them.
-
When one twin asks a
question, answer that twin directly.
-
Remember that when
interacting verbally taking turns to listen is as important
as taking turns to talk.
-
Remember also to value
silence. Pause frequently when you are conveying
information. This gives a better chance for information to
"sink in", and it also provides opportunities for
the child to formulate their next "turn" in the
conversation. Children need pauses and "space" to
think up what they want to say.
-
There is general
information about children's language development
here
and
here.
-
There is general
information about children's speech sound development
here.
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