
My sister and I were both born in 2008 but we aren't twins – peoples jaws drops when they find out how our age gap works
TikTok user @amber_andjade said how she often tells people that there is a small age gap between her and her sibling.
2
2
However, when people guess that it's around two years, she tells them it is even smaller than that.
In a clip on TikTok, she posted: 'Jan 2008 and Dec 2008."
One person replied to the video asking: 'How is that even possible…'
However, people were quick to explain: 'Her mother got pregnant 3 or 2 months after she was born."
The social media user said that they are in the same class at school due to their close age.
Others pointed out that she's an 'Irish twin', which is a term often given to babies born less than 12 months apart.
The term Irish twins was initially used as a derogatory term aimed at Irish-Catholics who emigrated to America.
As Catholics do not believe in contraception, Irish families were often large, with children born close together in age.
One person shared: 'damn mom didn't get a chance to relax.'
Another added: 'Your father was so impatient.'
I'm my own TWIN - I have two sets of DNA, two blood types & different skin tone
A third commented: 'mom really said 'wow let's do that again'.'
We previously shared about one mum who got pregnant three weeks after giving birth.
Jemma McCullough shared details of her unconventional family situation via a video posted to her TikTok channel.
Jemma gave birth to a daughter just 10 months after her son was born.
In the UK, the average age gap between siblings is around two years and two months.
Only a small percentage of pregnancies occur within 12 months of a previous birth.
A US-based study found that about 0.2 per cent of women gave birth twice within the same calendar year.
What are the different types of twins?
TWINS are when two children are produced in the same pregnancy.
They can be identical or different, and two boys, two girls, or a girl and a boy.
Twins are quite rare, but are usually born completely healthy
What are the different types of twins?
Monozygotic – identical twins ('one cell' twins)
Dizygotic – also known as 'fraternal', non identical twins. Babies are no more alike than siblings born at separate times, and they can be the same or different sexes
Conjoined twins – identical twins that are joined together. They are extremely rare, and it's estimated they range from one in 49,000 to 189,000 births, although around half are stillborn, and one third die within 24 hours.
Can identical twins be two different sexes?
Identical twins are always of the same sex because they form from the same fertilised egg that contains either female or male chromosomes.
The single egg is divided into two separate embryos, and they occur in about three in every 1000 deliveries worldwide.
Therefore, boy/girl twins are always fraternal (or dizygotic), as their chromosomes are either XY (male) or XX (female).
What are Di Di twins?
Di Di stands for Dichronic Diamniotic, and they are the common type of twins.
They have their own amniotic sacs and placenta, so are just sharing the womb of the mother, and are therefore not identical.
There are few complications with Di Di twins, so have a good chance of being born completely healthy without intervention from your doctor.
Di di twins are more likely to be non-identical than identical.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Study finds medication lowers risk of dangerous behaviors in people with ADHD
ADHD affects around five per cent of children and 2.5 per cent of adults globally and is linked increased risks of suicidal behaviors, substance abuse, transport accidents, and criminality if people do not seek treatment. An international team of researchers wanted to fin out if taking medication would mitigate these risks. Researchers from the University Of Southampton, UK and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden found that during two years of treatment with ADHD medication, people who took the drugs were less likely to experience these harmful incidents than those weren't medicated. Around 22 million Americans are estimated to have ADHD and just over half of these are prescribed medication to manage their symptoms. Medications are classified into two main categories: stimulants and non-stimulants. Stimulants, the most common type, include methylphenidate and amphetamine-based medications that improve the transmission of the brain chemical dopamine which affects mood, motivation and movement. Non-stimulant options like atomoxetine, clonidine, and guanfacine can also be used, if stimulants are not effective or well tolerated. These help improve the transmission of norepinephrine, a hormone that helps with alertness and focus. Exactly why the condition occurs is not completely understood, but ADHD tends to run in families, suggesting genes may play a part. In the new study, researchers examined multiple population and health records in Sweden. The team used a novel study design called a 'trial emulation' to simulate a trial using existing real-world data from 148,581 people with ADHD. Comparing those who had started any type of ADHD medication within three months of diagnosis with those who hadn't, they looked at the records over the following two years. They found any form of medication reduced the first occurrence of four of the five incidents (with accidental injury being the exception) and all five outcomes when considering recurring incidents. Those taking stimulant medication were associated with the lowest incident rates, compared to non-stimulant medications. Methylphenidate was the most commonly prescribed drug, the researchers found. The likelihood was most reduced amongst people exhibiting a recurring pattern of behavior, such as multiple suicide attempts, numerous drug relapses or repeat offending. Medication didn't reduce the risk of a first-time accidental injury, but did reduce the risk of recurring ones. The study is the first of its kind to show the beneficial effect of ADHD medication on these broader clinical outcomes using a novel statistical method and data representative of all patients in routine clinical care from a whole country. Dr Zheng Chang, senior author of the study from the Karolinska Institute said: 'This finding is consistent with most guidelines that generally recommend stimulants as the first-line treatment, followed by non-stimulants. 'There is an ongoing discussion regarding whether methylphenidate should be included in the World Health Organization model list of essential medications, and we hope this research will help to inform this debate.' Co-senior author on the paper Samuele Cortese, a National Institute For Health And Care Research (NIHR) Research Professor at the University of Southampton added: 'The failure form clinical services to provide timely treatments that reduce these important outcomes represents a major ethical issue that needs to be addressed with urgency, with the crucial input of people with lived experience.'


BreakingNews.ie
13 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Longlist of Ireland's Greenest Places 2025 announced: Mayo and Dublin lead with six nominees each
What do Taplin's Fields in Dublin's Liberties, Inishturk in Co Mayo, the Three Sisters Gardening Community in West Belfast and Quin in Co Clare have in common? They have all made the longlist of Ireland's Greenest Places 2025 competition and are therefore among the contenders for the overall title which will be announced next month. Advertisement Other places to make the long list include Harper's Island in Cork, Rathcroghan in Roscommon, Castlegregory/Maharees in Kerry, Derrybeg in Kildare and Ambrosetown in Wexford. 'Ireland's Greenest Places 2025', an initiative, which is being run by The Irish Times in association with Electric Ireland, began in late May when members of the public were invited to nominate a special place or project which they believe contributes to a genuinely greener environment. Over the last couple of months, over 120 nominations were received from across the island and the judging panel has now whittled that number down to 26. Pictured at the launch of The Irish Times Ireland's Greenest Places 2025 in association with Electric Ireland are Beth Healy (12), Laura Gargiuto Keenan (12) and Jaxon Okon (2). Photo: Julien Behal The chair of the judging panel, Irish Times Features Editor Mary Minihan said they had been hugely impressed by the quality and diversity of the environmental projects being undertaken around the country. Advertisement 'It was extremely difficult for us to come up with the long list and we spent many hours reviewing and debating the entries. But that is a real compliment to the excellent quality of the work being done in the projects and the places which were nominated. Congratulations to the 26 projects who made it on the long list but also to everyone who entered and is doing such valuable work. 'Each place was judged on specific criteria including its beneficial environmental impact, level of ongoing collective engagement by the community and evidence of behavioural change by people. What was really pleasing to see is that the greening of so many places across Ireland has flipped from the cosmetic to delivering substantial environmental dividends.' The longlist includes 3 suburbs, 5 villages, 5 towns and 13 communities. Mayo and Dublin lead the way with a total of six nominations across the four different categories, with Kerry next on 3. Clare has two with nine other counties on one. The panel of five judges includes Eamon Ryan, former leader of the Green Party, who said the Ireland's Greenest Places initiative shows just how much community-led- environmentalism has deepened and spread in recent years. Advertisement 'At a time when people are anxious about climate change and biodiversity loss, it helps to think global but act local. The long-listed entries show the variety of what is taking place around Ireland. People in every community seem to be looking to see what they can do by promoting pollinators, planting trees or establishing sustainable energy or transport solutions. 'Gone are the arguments that local people shouldn't be doing these things because it is the State's responsibility. Everyone can now see the returns that can come when you work from the bottom up as well as the top down.' The shortlist for Ireland's Greenest Places 2025 will be announced at the end of the month with the category winners and overall winner announced a fortnight later.


Daily Mail
13 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Scientists note HSPs are most likely to have mental health problems
Up to one in three people may be what experts call a 'highly sensitive person' (HSP) - often dismissed as thin-skinned or a 'drama queen'. But HSPs could be wired differently, British scientists have said. In world-first research involving more than 12,000 people, experts found those with high sensitivity were more likely to experience mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, than their less sensitive counterparts. Experts labeled the discovery 'important' but stressed further research is needed to explore how sensitivity affects the success of different mental health treatments. Tom Falkenstein, a psychotherapist at Queen Mary University of London and study co-author, said: 'We found positive and moderate correlations between sensitivity and various mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, agoraphobia, and avoidant personality disorder. 'Our findings suggest that sensitivity should be considered more in clinical practice which could be used to improve diagnosis of conditions. 'In addition, our findings could help improve treatment for these individuals. 'HSPs are more likely to respond better to some psychological interventions than less sensitive individuals. 'Therefore, sensitivity should be considered when thinking about treatment plans for mental health conditions.' An HSP is clinically defined as someone with 'increased central nervous system sensitivity to physical, emotional or social stimuli'. The term was coined in the mid-1990s by psychologist Elaine Aron, who published The Highly Sensitive Person. She theorized that HSPs may have a hyper-evolved sense of danger, likely the result of inherited genes, allowing them to 'read' other human emotions to an extraordinary degree. Later research suggested HSPs may have higher levels of neurotransmitters such as dopamine, contributing to heightened responsiveness to stimuli, while other studies have cited childhood trauma as a potential cause. Several high-profile figures, including actors Nicole Kidman and Miranda Hart, and most recently David Bowie's artist daughter Lexi Jones, have spoken publicly about identifying as HSPs. In the new research, scientists analysed 33 studies involving 12,697 adults and children over 12 years of age, with an average participant age of 25. They found HSPs were most likely to suffer depression and anxiety. Writing in the journal Clinical Psychological Science, the researchers said: 'Sensitivity is significantly correlated with common mental-health outcomes. 'It is also noticeable that we found moderate and positive correlations with agoraphobia and avoidant personality disorder,' the researchers said. One explanation for the higher likelihood of HSPs experiencing anxiety may be their 'depth of processing or their tendency to respond with overstimulation', they added. 'Depth of processing might reflect a tendency to worry about future outcomes or could lead to imagining possible future scenarios in a given situation that could account for some anxiety. 'Depression, on the other hand, might be more dependent on the environmental factors.' Professor Michael Pluess, an expert in developmental psychology and study co-author, said: 'It is important to remember that highly sensitive people are also more responsive to positive experiences, including psychological treatment. 'Our results provide further evidence that sensitive people are more affected by both negative and positive experiences and that the quality of their environment is particularly important for their well-being.' The researchers, however, acknowledged the study had 'several limitations' including the fact the average age of study participants was 25 and most were 'highly educated young women'. This 'overrepresentation of women' may make it 'difficult to predict whether the correlations observed could apply to a more diverse population', they added. Heightened sensitivity may also be a 'consequence of mental health problems', researchers noted, which requires further research. Finally, all studies analysed relied on participants self-reporting their feelings which could skew results, given they may have been 'influenced by the participant's specific level of introspection'.