Researchers at the University of South Florida have discovered a link between cigarette smoking and the increased chance of an African American mother receiving twins. The study consisted of 2200 African American woman who have gone through labor, including 227 who have given birth to twins. The study showed that a specific SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) in the TP53 gene combined with smoking habits showed an increased likelihood of twins. These results were contrary to popular belief of how smoking may cause infertility and miscarriage. Instead, the presence of both the TP53 SNP and cigarette smoking promoted the chance of receiving twins in African American parents.
The results showed that there is a genetic link between the chance of having multiple births and ones DNA. However, due to the small sample size in the experiment, the results might not be entirely conclusive. Instead I believe this experiment might promote smoking in some mothers, which should not be the case. A mother that might want to increase the chance of receiving twins might view this article and decide that cigarette smoking will help to achieve this. This will be harmful to the newborn baby and should not be promoted whatsoever.
This is study is amazing. To think that smoking could actually give a person a higher chance of having twins is incredible. I completely agree with you that this study could possibly promote smoking just for a better chance of having twins, but of course the newborns would face the harmful after affects of this choice. I also wonder if the study was done on other ethnicities if this would prove to be true as well.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be interesting to observe the mothers health before and after the study to see the effects of smoking on mothers during labor although I'm sure it would be negative. Furthermore, it could be intriguing to study the children of these mothers and see if any of them had physical or cognitive disabilities that could be attributed their mothers smoking during labor.
ReplyDeleteI think this article is fascinating, Its amazing that something that smoking, which is one of the most harmful activities for the human body, can increase the likelihood of individuals having twins. Like the earlier comments stated, I think it would be interesting to see the development of these twins and see how their health is versus a mother who had twins and did not smoke during the pregnancy.It is amazing to see how environmental factors have a large role in genetics
ReplyDeleteI think this article is fascinating, Its amazing that something that smoking, which is one of the most harmful activities for the human body, can increase the likelihood of individuals having twins. Like the earlier comments stated, I think it would be interesting to see the development of these twins and see how their health is versus a mother who had twins and did not smoke during the pregnancy.It is amazing to see how environmental factors have a large role in genetics
ReplyDeleteThis article gives me mixed emotions. Smoking is known to be such a horrible, harmful, and is detrimental to the human life. You see all of these articles and ads such as the truth campaign for anti-smoking. To see that smoking could increase the likelihood of twins in confusing and interesting.
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ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting study! I have twins and I was a smoker at the time I became pregnant. I had no family history of twin births, however the doctors had suggested that being on the pill for so long can increase the amount of eggs released once the pill is discontinued. There are several variables that can create twins so it seems that more research is needed to draw any solid conclusions.
ReplyDeleteThis is amazing information, I wonder, if they had chosen a more diverse sample size would the outcome have been the same.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is interesting that an outside factor can increase the likelihood of having twins. I wonder if it is only within the African-American population or in other populations as well. My family has a history of twins and I wonder if smoking would increase the odds or not. I think that more research in this topic though would be unethical. Not only is smoking unhealthy to the person it is risky to the fetus, as smoking is addictive and someone who starts just to have twins might not be able to quit.
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