The definition of twins is like this: "...two young who are simultaneously born from one mother" But
what about the fathers? We might suppose that the twins have the same father,
but a strange and very uncommon situation may say differently: Heteropaternal
Superfecundation.
Heteropaternal Superfecundation
occurs when the eggs are fertilized by sperm from two different sexual
intercourses with different men. This phenomenon happens within hours or days
of the first instance of fertilization. Superfecundation is common in animals,
such as dogs and cats.
In 2009, a woman named Mia Washington
noticed that her twins had very different features, especially facial. Her fiancée,
concerned because of that, asked for a paternity test to find out why his twins
were so different. He went to Dallas to get tested and discovered that there
was a 99.999% chance that one of his twins had a different dad.
The doctor who took the test and
worked at the lab expressed his impression with this case, saying that it is very
rare and it is probably the only case they will have in that state for a long
time.
At the end, Washington confessed she
had had an affair while she was engaged. She feared that her husband was going
to leave her, but he forgave her and promised to raise both children as if they were his own.
Here’s a video with a similar
situation, a couple discovers that their twins have different fathers, one has
clear black features!
Imagine you were the father of one these twins, would you be able to raise a child that is not yours and acknowledgely a fruit from your partner's affair?
It is an interesting and strange topic. First, I’ve always think that a son may not be necessarily “blood of your blood”, because a father’s role is not defined in terms of biology, but in terms of love and feelings. Now, this phenomenon is very strange, but not impossible considering you mentioned that it happens in dogs and cats. They are mammals, as we are also, so it may be possible. However, our characteristics make us different from other mammals that can have more than one or 2 babies. It should be a matter of scientific interest, because it is unusual and people need know more about it.
ReplyDeleteI think in a similar way in terms of the blood issue, because I think once you see that baby's face you fall in love with him. Now, I don't know if it would be possible to me to forgive something like that, and that is, I think, the most difficult part, not the parenting part. So even it may be a really rare situation, we have to be careful and aware of our actions.
ReplyDeleteWow, that's rare. I thought it was biologically impossible, but now i realize that it is not.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you guys, even though a newborn may not have your blood, fatherhood is more related to feelings, care and all that stuff, that blood compatibility. If i were in that situation, i wouldn't know what to do, because for me cheating while you're engaged is a serious issue, so again i wouldn't know what to do... of course in relation to my fiance, because in relation to my child, i know what's the role that i have to play with him/her.