Parents want to know all they can about their babies and especially when they have twins or triplets or more. When these twins grow up they also get curious to know. Here are the reasons why parents want to know about the zygosity of their babies:

• Just for their curiosity
• To answer the question ” Are they identical?”
• To find out the odds of having twins/triplets again especially for women with non-identical twins
•  For any other reason where knowledge of zygosity is essential
• To find out their suitability for organ or bone marrow donation

A simple cheek swab is good enough to perform a twin DNA test.  The DNA analysis is the same as is used for paternity tests. Greatnorth Forensics Inc will provide details of the DNA profiles for each child/individual and confirm whether the results are consistent with them being identical or fraternal.

Twins can be identical and non-identical. Identical or monozygotic twins share the same DNA while non-Identical twins or heterozygotic twins in some rare cases could have a different father. Sometimes appearance doesn’t give you an answer to a question if twins are sharing the same DNA.

Note: Standard result turnaround time (7-10 business days) takes place solely using oral swab samples. Using a discreet sample for any DNA test may lead to an increase in turnaround time.