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Show Twins Lead Hazardous Existence During Birth There are two kinds of twins: one-egg one-egg (identical) and two-egg (fraternal). (fra-ternal). One-egg twins are the result re-sult of the division of a single fertilized ferti-lized egg, are therefore duplicate editions of the same person. They are always of the same sex. "Two-egg "Two-egg twins are derived from two independent inde-pendent eggs fertilized by two sperms and are related to each other oth-er in exactly the same way as are ordinary brothers and sisters ..." Twins lead a hazardous existence before and during birth. In the uterus they are crowded. Many are born prematurely, many are injured at birth. About one-quarter of all twins born die in the first ten days of life. "Extensive studies of twins of all ages," says Professor Newman, New-man, "have revealed a higher frequency fre-quency of mental defectives among twins than among the singly born." But if they escape the hazards of inf.- icy, twins "are as capable as are singly born pupils in the same schools." Siamese twins are identical twins who are not completely separated. "True Siamese twins consist of two nearly complete individuals united obliquely side by side in the hip region. Internally there are two complete sets of viscera, except that there is usually a common rectum." Their organs are symmetrical, one heart slanting to the right the other to the left. But for some mysterious reason, they are often very unlike in facial features and personality. There have been 13 sets of Siamese Siam-ese twins known to medical history. The original "Siamese" were Chang and Eng (really Chinese), born in Siam in 1811. |
