Mirror Twins: Definition, Traits, Causes

Mirror twins, or mirror picture twins, is a time period used to explain a attribute of some twins whose options seem asymmetrically—that’s, on reverse sides. When these twins are going through one another, it’s as if they’re wanting in a mirror.

You may hear somebody name their youngsters “mirror twins,” however the phrases do not seek advice from a scientific class. Most mirror twins truly fall into the class of equivalent twins.

An identical twins are monozygotic, that means they got here from a single, fertilized egg that break up into two and developed into two embryos. Monozygotic twins have the identical genetic origins. These twins usually have related bodily traits and will even look precisely alike.

Mirror picture twins make up 25% of monozygotic twins.

Traits of Mirror Twins

Mirror twins have sure bodily traits in widespread—these similarities are simply mirrored on reverse sides of their our bodies.

Bodily traits

Potential traits that would look the identical in mirror twins embrace: birthmarks, moles, freckles, dimples, eye or eyebrow shapes, nostril or ear shapes, cowlicks, hair whorls, or enamel.

For instance, an identical birthmark could also be seen on the left facet of 1 twin and on the correct facet of the opposite. Facial options resembling dimples could also be on reverse sides of the face. Cowlicks could run clockwise on one twin and counterclockwise on the opposite.

Gestures or actions

Gestures or actions will also be manifestations of mirror picture twinning. For instance, one twin could also be right-handed and the opposite left-handed (though many twins share this attribute). Moreover, one twin could favor to sleep on their left facet whereas the opposite prefers the correct.

Medical Situations

In some excessive circumstances (that are exceptionally uncommon), mirror twins show situs inversus. On this situation, the interior organs (resembling the guts, liver, lungs, or abdomen) are located on the alternative facet of the conventional anatomical place. An X-ray, CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound evaluation can be utilized to determine the place of inside organs when situs inversus happens.

There are additionally much less severe medical circumstances which have a better likelihood of occurring with mirror twins. These circumstances may very well be benign or require surgical procedure to make them extra manageable:

• Additional toes
• Bone cysts
• Cleft lip and cleft palate
• Esotropia (eye misalignment)
• Supernumerary (additional) enamel
• Set off thumb, or having a thumb locked in a bent place

Identification of Mirror Twins

There is no such thing as a check to substantiate mirror twinning. DNA evaluation solely confirms that twins’ genetic traits are related sufficient to be thought of monozygotic or dissimilar sufficient to be dizygotic. Observing bodily options is actually the principle method to decide if twins are mirror twins.

Causes of Mirror Twinning

As a result of mirror twins could happen with monozygotic twinning, it has been theorized (and disputed) that mirror picture twinning happens when the egg splits in a while throughout growth. This might occur greater than every week after conception, however not late sufficient in order that conjoined twins type.

Many mirror picture twins show traits of different late-splitting monozygotic twins and are additionally monochorionic (twins who share a placenta) or monoamniotic (twins who share an amniotic sac). In different phrases, these circumstances may very well be indicators of what causes mirror twins.