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Expert Q&A
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| By David L. Fay, M.D. Family Physician Associate Director, Waukesha Family Practice Residency Program | ||
I am having monochorionic, diamniotic twin girls. We were told that they were identical. I thought this was because there is only one placenta, but then I read a previous Q&A that says that just because there is one placenta doesn't mean they are identical. So how do the doctors know they are identical?
On July 11, 2003, the first report of fraternal twins sharing a placenta was published. This was previously unknown and most likely due to in vitro fertilization. One is pretty safe to assume that monochorionic, diamniotic twins are identical, because it seems that all but two in the history of the world have been.
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