Twins found to have different fathers after DNA test

A Vietnamese couple recently brought their fraternal twins to the Center for Genetic Analysis and Technologies, in the country's capital of Hanoi, to have DNA tests, after pressure from extended family members who noticed the children did not look alike, said Le Dinh Luong, president of the Genetic Association of Vietnam.



The tests showed there was no mix-up in the hospital: The twins have the same mother, but different fathers.
Luong said the family was surprised by the revelation, and looking for the best way to deal with the situation.

He declined to give more details, because of a confidentiality agreement with the parents.
VNS, Vietnam's state-run news agency, reported the family is from northern Hoa Binh province and the children are 2 years old. One sibling has thick and wavy hair, while the other has thin and straight hair, VNS said.

Twins who have different fathers are extremely rare, Luong said, adding this is the first case in Vietnam that he knows of.

Dr Keith Eddleman, director of obstetrics at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York told CNN that it is possible for a woman to conceive bipaternal twins through two acts of sexual intercourse.

A woman’s egg has a life-span of between 12 and 48 hours, he said, while a sperm can last for between seven and 10 days. It is during this overlap that it is possible for two eggs to be fertilised.