Identical twins refer to twin siblings of the same gender who have extremely similar facial features, often hard to distinguish. This condition is known as monozygotic twins, where “mono” means one and “zygote” means a fertilized egg.

So how can two babies be born as identical twins? Can parents plan a pregnancy to have identical twins? Find the full explanation below.

What Are Identical Twins?
As mentioned above, identical twins are two babies born with nearly identical physical features, often hard to tell apart. This occurs when a fertilized egg splits into two, resulting in the same genetic material or DNA.

These two parts then grow into babies that typically share one placenta in the womb and are of the same sex.

Difference Between Identical and Fraternal Twins
Fraternal (dizygotic) twins occur when two eggs are fertilized by two separate sperm, producing siblings with different genetic material. They may look different and even have different genders, each with its own placenta.

Types of Identical Twin Pregnancies
A. Mo-Mo (Monochorionic-Monoamniotic):
Both twins share one placenta and one amniotic sac. High risk—only 70% survive.
Doctors usually recommend cesarean delivery at 32–34 weeks to prevent complications like cord compression or twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.

B. Mo-Di (Monochorionic-Diamniotic):
Twins share one placenta but have separate amniotic sacs. This is the most common type of identical twin pregnancy.

C. Di-Di (Dichorionic-Diamniotic):
Twins each have their own placenta and amniotic sac. This has the lowest risk of complications among identical twin types.

Factors That Increase Identical Twin Pregnancy

Genetics/family history

Older maternal age (>35 years)

IVF (in vitro fertilization)

Fertility drugs

Care for Identical Twin Pregnancy

Intensive antenatal check-ups

Regular monitoring of placenta and amniotic sacs

Early delivery planning, typically via cesarean

NICU support if needed after birth

No definite factor can predict identical twins—they occur naturally and spontaneously.