Wordy Wednesday

Interesting facts about twins:

Worldwide there are at least 125 million living multiples.

Up to 22 percent of twins are left-handed. In the non-twin population the number is just under 10 percent.

The United States has one of the highest rates of multiples, while Japan has one of the lowest with multiple births occurring one in 120 births.

Incredible fact: according to the Guinness Book of Records, Leontina Albina, from the country of Chile, gave birth to the last of her 55 children in 1981. Her offspring included five sets of twins (all boys).

The scientific study of twins is known as "gemellology".

The word twin is derived from an ancient German word twine, which means 'two together.'

The average weight of a singleton newborn is 7 lbs. 6 oz., but the average weight of a twin newborn is 5 lbs. 5 oz.

Fraternal twins are much more common than identical twins. The chances of having identical twins is about one in 285.

Identical twins exhibit almost identical brain wave patterns.

Genetic factors do not have much, if any, affect on the incidence of identical twins. Identical twins do not run in families.

What a concept! There is a restaurant in New York City called "Twins." It was started by twin sisters and is staffed by 37 sets of twins who work the same shifts. Each evening they get 10 or more sets of twins or multiples who patron their unique restaurant.

Did you know that Elvis Presley and Liberace were both twins? Their siblings died at birth.

The famed advice columnist's Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren ("Dear Abby") are twins.

William Shakespeare was the father of boy/girl twins.

A recent study found that the cost of each birth in a twin delivery was 2 to 3 times that of a birth in a singleton delivery.

Famous people who have parented twins:
Jane Pauley and Garry Trudeau
Ricky Nelson
Jane Seymour
Cybill Sheperd
James Stewart
Margaret Thatcher
President George W. Bush
Robert DeNiro
Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan
Mel Gibson
Ron Howard
Muhammad Ali
Denzel Washington