A parasitic twin is an identical twin that has stopped developing during gestation, but is physically attached to the fully developing twin. The fully developed twin is also known as the dominant or autosite twin. According to global estimates, however, conjoined twins occur in about 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 100,000 births. While there is a genetic predisposition to getting twins, conjoined twins are not genetic but the result of a chance occurrence during feotal development. Conjoined twins arise when a single egg from the female is fertilised by one sperm.

Source: Standard Digital August 22, 2020 21:00 UTC