How can a parent NOT KNOW if their twins are identical or fraternal?

Cant they tell during the ultrasound or at the birth?how can some possibly not know?I know someone who has twins and they have to be dna tested to tell if their identical or not,Ive seen it before on tv too,I dont understand?How can a parent NOT KNOW if their twins are identical or fraternal?
Even after they are born, it is sometimes difficult to know whether twins are identical or fraternal. It can be easier if they:





-share one placenta (identical)


-are different sexes (fraternal)


-have different blood types (fraternal)


It is harder to know if they are the same sex, have the same blood type, or if there are two placentas, since they could then be either fraternal or identical twins.





Don't be fooled by a fused placenta (fraternal twins), which can look like it is just one placenta, or if the twins don't look alike. Sometimes, factors during the pregnancy, especially twin to twin transfusion syndrome, can lead to identical twins that have very different birth weights and are mistakenly thought to be fraternal. And sometimes, fraternal twins can look enough alike to be confused with identical twins.How can a parent NOT KNOW if their twins are identical or fraternal?
It should show up on a scan,or you'd think it would.identical twins share the same placenta,fraternal twins have seperate placentas.there's a condition called twin to twin transfusion,this only occurs in identical (extremely rare though).they would check for this on a scan.





Once the babies are born though,its pretty easy,especially if there's one of each!I don't know why this person is having the babies dna tested,its fairly obvious if they're identical or not.





Identical twins are always the same sex,fraternal can come in the same or opposite sex.





Weird,never heard of that before!
LOL


Not all the time!


I have 10 month old twin daughters. They were in separate sacs with their own placentas. When I gave birth to them, both the placentas fused together, making one.





Me %26amp; my partner could never be able to tell the difference between them, and they still get confused for identical twins.





I've also read somewhere that some people believe that the reason fraternal twins who look identical, are the result of the egg splitting FIRST, then are fertilised by 2 separate sperm.


I do not know if this is true though!





Also, a friend of mine had twin girls, who were in the same sac, but couldn't be more opposite from eachother. One has blonde hair (looks like her father) And the other has dark hair and looks exactly like her mother. You would never even believe they were twins, let alone identical twins!





Even though I still refer to my twin girls as fraternal, they look so alike, I really question myself sometimes.


Me %26amp; partner are thinking of taking the test to see if they are or not.





I used to think like you, until I actually had my own set of twins.


I now understand why some parents don't know if their twins are identical of not.


It can be very confusing!


;-)
I am an identical twin (32 years old). We had always been told we were fraternal because we were in two separate sacs (ultrasounds weren't done much back then, so info came from our actual birth). But just three years ago, we started reading on the internet about it because we have always looked so much alike that no one believed we were not identical. It seems that even with two sacs or two placentas, it is possible that the twins can be identical...it all depends on when the egg splits. We had a dna test done at the age of 29 and found we were identical.
A parent will not now if there twins are Fraternal or Identical till they are born or if they ask at the ultrasound. Fraternal Twins (non identical of same sex or boy and girl, 2 eggs are fertilized) run in the family, the gene is passed down through the women of the family, men do not carry the gene, so if ur father is an identical or fraternal twin it makes no difference, because he cant have the gene. Identical twins are basically a mystery?? no one really nows why?? (they are always the same sex), they share the same egg Fraternal twins can have different eye colours, hair colour, blood type as they are both different. Identical twins, will share the same eye colour, hair colour and blood group. When at a scan the doctor or nurse will be able to c if there is one sac being used or 2.... I think u can just ask??


Hope this helps
My two over there %26lt;%26lt;%26lt; are of course fraternal twins and both had there own sac, identical twins share the same sac i was told at my first scan it was twins and they were fraternal and identical twins are just that they are identical and tend to be the same sex either two boys or two girls, and a note who said fraternal twins have different blood types is wrong both my twins have the same blood group as me
Normally its very simple to tell if they are identical or not, identical will share a sac and fraternal will not. after ready many things about twins now I'm expecting them, if the egg splits late 2 sacs can be made, meaning the twins are identical but have separate sacs. So its possible it can happen!
Fraternal twins can look identical. If they look exactly the same, it would be very easy to think they are identical even if they aren't.
Their doctor may not have told the parents whether they were identical or fraternal, and after they are born they could look alot alike but still not be identical or the other way around
some identical twins have their own sac and some even their own placenta. it all depends on when the egg split.
Yes I believe that identical twins share a 'sac' in the womb where as non-identical dont,. I may be wrong but Im pretty sure of it
A scan WILL show.