Cork
Well-known member
Just out of curiosity... does anybody on here have a twin? If so does there twin have a heart problem? Is a twin of someone with heart problems more suseptable to developing heart problems?
Twins
- Thread starter Cork
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Karlynn
No twin, just wanted to say "Cool avatar!" It's pretty freaky!
Cork
Well-known member
thanks, i had to do some searching for it. 
Yours is cool too
Yours is cool tootwinmaker
Well-known member
Cork, We have identical twin sons. I'm the one with the heart problem and it was acquired, so nothing passed on to the boys. I do know from experience that at least with identical twins, sometimes when something is wrong with one, you find it is wrong with the other when it comes to congenital things. Not always, I guess. But this is an interesting question. They do a lot of twin studies, so I'm guessing you could find an answer to your question. A lot of unusual things with identicals...mine had their own language when they were little. I kept hearing them say the same things over and over to each other and respond to each other...they seem to have a sixth sense. Interesting. LINDA
Karen
Well-known member
not necessarily...
not necessarily...
Cork, I have identical twin sons, age 22. When they were 5 years old, one of my twins had a heart murmur that we had evaluated by a pediatric cardiologist at Primary Children's in Salt Lake. There were no tests done, just listening to his heart. With all the stuff that has been talked about here concerning the heritability of BAV and testing our children etc., I talked with the nurse (at the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Clinic at the University of Utah) that especially deals with patients with valve problems, and asked her about this son and whether or not he should be tested further. I also asked if he does have a problem with his valve, would it be likely that his brother would too. She said No. Often times the problems develop as the baby develops in the womb, and they often (usually) find that even with identical twins, only one is affected. My cardiologist agreed with that when I asked him the same question...
not necessarily...
Cork, I have identical twin sons, age 22. When they were 5 years old, one of my twins had a heart murmur that we had evaluated by a pediatric cardiologist at Primary Children's in Salt Lake. There were no tests done, just listening to his heart. With all the stuff that has been talked about here concerning the heritability of BAV and testing our children etc., I talked with the nurse (at the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Clinic at the University of Utah) that especially deals with patients with valve problems, and asked her about this son and whether or not he should be tested further. I also asked if he does have a problem with his valve, would it be likely that his brother would too. She said No. Often times the problems develop as the baby develops in the womb, and they often (usually) find that even with identical twins, only one is affected. My cardiologist agreed with that when I asked him the same question...
Andrew'sMom
Well-known member
Hi Cork!
I have run across several care pages of babies/children with heart defects where the babies are identical twins, but only 1 is affected with the defect. I guess that while genetics can have a big role in heart defects, sometimes other problems occur during development that are solely to blame. It's pretty interesting.
I have run across several care pages of babies/children with heart defects where the babies are identical twins, but only 1 is affected with the defect. I guess that while genetics can have a big role in heart defects, sometimes other problems occur during development that are solely to blame. It's pretty interesting.
doubletroublex2
Well-known member
Twins and heart defects
Twins and heart defects
Well I guess I will pipe up here. I have two sets of twins, and one of both sets have heart defects. Caleb is the only one in which anyone worries about, but Noah does have some defects (Bilateral Superior Vena Cava, Patent Foramen Ovale and a narrowing in the aorta) all of which we were have been told won't cause any problems in life. I do worry about these but we are not seeing any issues with them. Noah is growing and developing well. We were going to bring him in and get another echo done but have been putting it off and now he is at an age where he won't lay still for it so we are waiting until the need arrises or will lay still for it.
Now I have, like most moms who have kids with birth defects, have wondered what I did. I have been told many times that it probably was becasue of being a twin. There is a higher chance of having heart defects with mulitples. But at the same time I was also told (recommended) me not to have anymore children. They are concerned that I might have another child with a worse heart defect.
Jamie
Twins and heart defects
Well I guess I will pipe up here. I have two sets of twins, and one of both sets have heart defects. Caleb is the only one in which anyone worries about, but Noah does have some defects (Bilateral Superior Vena Cava, Patent Foramen Ovale and a narrowing in the aorta) all of which we were have been told won't cause any problems in life. I do worry about these but we are not seeing any issues with them. Noah is growing and developing well. We were going to bring him in and get another echo done but have been putting it off and now he is at an age where he won't lay still for it so we are waiting until the need arrises or will lay still for it.
Now I have, like most moms who have kids with birth defects, have wondered what I did. I have been told many times that it probably was becasue of being a twin. There is a higher chance of having heart defects with mulitples. But at the same time I was also told (recommended) me not to have anymore children. They are concerned that I might have another child with a worse heart defect.
Jamie
