One family from California is set to celebrate two birthdays every year when their twins were born in different years, even though they were born only 15 minutes apart from each other!
Most parents would likely be excited to hear that they are set to have twins. Naturally, there is some added stress and uncertainty about the future, but also the doubling of joy and happiness in the family. Fraternal twins are conceived when a mother releases two eggs during the same cycle. Two different sperm fertilize these eggs. Identical twins are conceived from one egg and one sperm. So, identical twins share 100% of their DNA, but fraternal twins only share 50%.
Generally, women who undergo fertility treatment have a higher chance of conceiving twins, according to Very Well Family, as well as women who have a family history of conceiving twins or multiple babies. There are many other factors that can also determine if a woman will have twins, such as height and weight as well.
The Trujillo family’s twins are now the youngest of five siblings in the family, and they surprised their parents when they were born on December 31 and January 1, respectively. The older twin, Alfredo Antonio Trujillo, was delivered first at 11:45 pm on Dec. 31, 2021, while his sister, Aylin Yolanda Trujillo, entered the world exactly at midnight on January 1.
The hospital where the twins were born, Natividad Hospital in Monterey County, California, also celebrated this rare and wonderful birth as it released its own statement. Read on to know more about the Trujillo family and their new babies. In their statement, Natividad Medical Center wrote that Aylin weighed in at 5 pounds, 14 ounces, while big brother Alfredo weighed 6 pounds, 1 ounce after their birth. Amazingly, Aylin also became the first baby to be born at Natividad Medical Center and in Monterey County in 2022.
“It’s crazy to me that they are twins and have different birthdays,” the twins’ mother, Fatima Madrigal, said. “I was surprised and happy that she arrived at midnight.”
USA Today reported that Aylin and Alfredo joined their three older siblings in the Trujillo family after they were released from the hospital. Aylin and Alfredo already have two sisters and a brother. Madrigal said her oldest son was excited that one of the babies was a boy, and her family couldn’t wait to meet them.
Natividad Medical Center also shed light on just how rare this occurrence is and wrote: “There are about 120,000 twin births in the U.S. every year, making up just over 3% of all births. However, twins with different birthdays are rare, and some estimate the chance of twins being born in different years as one in 2 million.”
It is not only the Trujillo family who are overjoyed with the twins’ birth. Dr. Ana Abril Arias, a family doctor at Natividad Medical Group and faculty at Natividad, said, “This was definitely one of the most memorable deliveries of my career.” She added: “It was an absolute pleasure to help these little ones arrive here safely in 2021 and 2022. What an amazing way to start the New Year!”What are your thoughts about this rare twin delivery? Do you have any stories of your own about multiple births? Tell us about them, and be sure to pass this happy news on to your friends as well!