Paternity Case Reveals Woman Birthed Twins With Two Different Fathers

A New Jersey woman who birthed twins will receive child support for one of her children after a court ruled that each of her girls has a different father.

In his ruling, Passaic County Superior Court Judge Sohail Mohammed cited expert testimony, medical research, and a paternity test that revealed the man involved in the case fathered only one of the woman’s children.

Experts say that if a woman’s ovaries release two eggs during one menstrual cycle, both could be fertilized. The woman said she had sex with two different partners during the same cycle. In rare cases, this could lead to both eggs being fertilized by different men resulting in what are called “heteropaternal” or “bipaternal” twins.

Although the situation is rare, such births are reportedly on the rise

A 1997 research paper titled Indisputable Double Paternity in Dizygous Twins concluded that about one in every 13,000 paternity cases involves twins from different fathers and most cases are discovered through DNA tests in paternity cases. This one was brought to court by the county on the woman’s behalf.

“Today, it is believed that the incident of bipaternal twins is increasing at a higher rate compared to 50 years ago mainly due to assistive reproductive technologies, ovulation induction, promiscuity and other factors,” Mohammed wrote.

The woman will receive $28 a week by the father of one of the twins.