PART 1 of 2
When Mia Washington and her boyfriend James Harrison ran a paternity test on her eleven-month-old twins, they got a result that made news at home and abroad. Harrison was the father – of only one twin. The other dad? His identity has not been released. Washington told Fox News: “Of all the people in America and of all the people in the world, it had to happen to me. I’m very shocked.”
How rare is this? To no one’s surprise, there isn’t a lot of research on this subject (Can you imagine doing the informed consents for that study?). However, estimates suggest that as many as 12% of all fraternal twins are conceived in two separate acts of coitus, a phenomenon common enough to have its own six-syllable name: superfecundation. Parenthetically, this raises an interesting question: how many genetic counselors routinely consider the possibility that twins may differ by days or even a week in their gestational age?
And if mommy is spreading the love, there is no guarantee that the resulting children won’t have different fathers (“heteropaternal superfecundation”). In fact, a review of one database of paternity test results revealed bi-paternity in three cases, or 2.4% of all fraternal twins tested. You have to assume a major ascertainment bias in a population doing paternity testing, so it is hard to know how to generalize those numbers. One study suggests that of all naturally conceived fraternal twins born to “married, white women in America,” one in 400 sets are bi-paternal. The author adds that the number may be higher in certain populations, “like prostitutes”. Going out on a limb there, buddy.
Bi-paternity may be news but it is a pretty safe bet it isn’t new. As shocking as it is to the rest of the world, to genetic counselors it has a familiar ring to it – another cautionary tale about how treacherous it is to make assumptions about paternity. But there is a more ancient angle to this story as well; more on that in my next post.
The DNA Exchange 
I would hazard to guess that most genetic counselors in clinical practice are not generally involved in issues of paternity testing as illustrated in this case. The issue certainly will come up as a possibility in twins when there is a real genetic concern, or an ultrasound study suggests discordant dates for twins and the genetic counselor is working with the patient and her physician to consider the possibilities for the discrepancy. Thankfully these children both appear rather healthy and well so hopefully it was more good news, good news than anything.
Pingback: About that Paternity Test… (Part 2) « The DNA Exchange
Interesting point made here, I actually believe that woman should be able to decide whether they want to pass a dna test or no. It is important to understand both side of the coin, and it is certainly important to consider the future of the child in the first place. thanks for this insightful post.
For the reason that the admin of this web page is working,
no question very soon it will be famous, due to its quality contents.