1/5 Twin Births Baffle Doctors In Kerala:India

Baffled doctors are trying to unravel the mystery of an Indian village boasting more than 220 sets of twins born to just 2,000 families.

Experts who have visited the remote tropical village of Kodinhi, in kerala, have been left scratching their heads over the phenomenon that has seen almost six times as many twins born than the global average.

In 2008 alone, 15 pairs of twins were born in the village out of 300 healthy deliveries and this year is expected to top that number.

"The number of twins per thousand here is around 45 per 1,000 births,"

"Indian, and by that I mean Asian, people on the sub-continent have the lowest acknowledged incidences of twinning in the world at around four per 1,000.

"In addition, there is no IVF treatment here because of the prohibitive cost. Global rates of twins being born, especially in the western world, have increased because of artificial insemination.

"Also, twins are born usually to older, more mature women. In Kodinhi that is not the case because marriage happens much younger here at around 18-20 years-old and families begin very soon after.

"Another factor that bucks the trend is that twins occur in women who are generally over 5ft 3in in height. The height of women in Kodinhi is around 5ft on average."

"Usually, there's about a one in 65 chance of having non-identical twins, with the chances lessening the older the mother gets,"