Have you ever seen identical triplets? It’s not surprising if the answer is no, but brace yourself for an incredible sight in medical history. A set of extremely rare (try one in 20 or 30 million!) identical triplets, born December 1st, 2015, in Houston, Texas, are causing quite the commotion. So, why are they so unlikely?
When it comes to babies, there can be two types of multiples: monozygotic, which produce identical babies and are created when the eggs splits after fertilization. The other is dizygotic, when more than one fertilized egg becomes an embryo, producing fraternal multiples.
The reason why the eggs split after fertilization is still unclear, but it is a much rarer occurrence than dizygotic multiples.
For identical triplets to happen, the fertilized egg needs to split twice, which is SUPER rare.
IMAGE SOURCE: NBCNEWS
You may have noticed more twins and triplets in recent years, thanks to fertility treatments, such as in-vitro fertilization. These treatments use multiple fertilized eggs, guaranteeing that any babies born will be fraternal. Studies show that women over 30 are more likely to produce more than one egg during ovulation, which can cause triplets or twins, but this is another fraternal circumstance.
It is a popular belief that identical twins run in families, but there is no still scientific explanation for why eggs split after fertilization. It’s not a genetic predisposition. Basically, even if you have identical twins in your family, it doesn’t mean that you are more likely to have them. It’s a gamble! Since some women share a genetic trait to produce more eggs, fraternal twins can run in families.
Apparently, only 3 births per 1000 are identical twins, so can you imagine how unlikely it is to have identical triplets?!
The three girls, Addison, Kinsley and Savannah Harris, were born 10 weeks prematurely, weighing between 3 pounds to 3 pounds, 8 ounces, but were discharged Monday afternoon from Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital.
IMAGE SOURCE: CBS
IMAGE SOURCE: FOXNEWS
Welcome to the world, adorable trio! We’re so excited to have you three!
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