Superwomen: Moms of Twins May Live Longer
May-14-2011

Having two babies at a time is associated with a longer life, according to a new study. But that's not because doubling up on dirty diapers increases life span; instead, moms of twins are physically stronger in the first place.
One catch: The research, published today (May 10) in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, focused on a "natural fertility" population of women in 1800s Utah, so the results may not apply in today's in vitro fertilization (IVF) world.
However, the findings do suggest that rather than being a reproductive accident that drains mom of energy and nutrients, twins could be an evolutionary adaption in which healthy moms take the chance to pass on double their genes at once.
"We expected the exact opposite," study researcher Shannen Robson of the University of Utah told LiveScience. "We expected that since most humans have one baby at a time, having two would be really burdensome ... [Twins] are an identifier of these women who are remarkable, physically exceptional people."

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Posted by Ken at 12:00 AM - Link to this entry  |  Share this entry  |  Print