Twin Development - In Utero, and Out
By Rochelle Caviness
The Impact of Premature Birth
Twins, and multiples in general, have a greater chance of being born premature than does a singleton. Almost half of all women carrying twins will go into preterm labor. In many instances, it is possible to stop the labor, as a result only about a third of twins are born prematurely.
While being born premature does have a negative impact upon the development of twins that impact is similar to that of a premature singleton.
Twins, even identical twins, are often born with different birth weights. Their ability to thrive and to overcome the effects of being born premature also tends to vary.
Premature babies often take longer to learn how to suck and swallow properly, therefore it can take them awhile to learn how to breastfeed. With premature twins, one twin may begin breastfeeding well before the other.
When feeding your twins, make sure both are fed. If they look a lot alike, it is surprisingly easy to get them mixed up when they are very tiny.
Premature babies, including twins, may be developmentally delayed due to complications associated with their birth.
Twin Development
For the most part, twins develop in the same manner as other children. There are, however, a few areas in which being a twin may influence a child's development in a manner that is unique to twins.
Even if not born prematurely, twins tend to be smaller and have a lower birth weight than singletons. This may slow their development slightly, but once they put on a little weight they quickly "catch up."
Closeness
Twins often appear to have a special closeness to each other. This trait is more prominent with identical twins. In part, this may be caused by their genetic similarities. However, it is also reasonable to assume that this closeness may be due, at least in part, to the physical closeness of the twins. From the moment of conception, twins are in close proximity with each. After birth, it is common for twins to share the same crib, to nurse at the same time, to be together all the time. This closeness helps them form an extremely strong, life long bonds.
Twins may grow to be very dependent upon each other. This may grow out of their physical closeness, which allows them to have an intuitive understanding of the other twin's needs.
However, just because they are twins does not mean that they are always going to be sweet and agreeable to each other. Just like other siblings, twins will have their fights, they will be jealousies of each other at times, and there will be instances when they just will not share!
Social Development
Identical twins tend to handle social situations in the same manner and reach various maturity markers at about the same time.
Fraternal twins, on the other hand, may mature at varied speeds and consequently their social and intellectual development may be dissimilar.
Physical Development
Unless the twins suffer from a medical or physical condition, and baring any lasting delays from a premature birth, twins develop physically on the same schedule as do singletons. In other words, they learn to do things when they are ready.
In general, twins follow the normal patterns of infant development.
Speech
Twins, as a whole, tend to begin speaking later than do singletons. This may be because twins often develop their own language that they use to communicate with each other. Your doctor can advise you if the twins' speech delay is natural or if it is occurring due to some other problem, such as difficulty hearing. Twins also have a propensity to stutter, but this can be overcome with speech therapy if it does not rectify itself.
Intellectual Development
Intelligence and behavior derives from a number of factors, both genetic and environmental. In this regard, twins are no different from singletons.
Interestingly, identical twins tend to have nearly identical IQ scores - even when they are raised apart. This has led some researchers to hypothesize that genetic factors are more of an influence on intellectual development than are factors such as home and school. Other scientists claim that the similarities in IQ scores are mere coincidence and place most of the impetus behind intellectual development on environmental factors.
Twin Studies
Twins offer scientists a unique opportunity to study human development. Consequently, there are a plethora of twin studies being conducted. These studies are delving into twin development and behavior, as well as health related issues.
