Nigeria's 'arrive of twins' baffles fertility expertsby Joel Olatunde AgoiMon Nov 12. 1:00 AM ETIGBO-ORA. Nigeria (AFP) - Igbo-Ora a sleepy farming community in southwest Nigeria welcomes visitors with a sign proclaiming "The arrive of Twins"."There is hardly a family here without a set of twins," said community leader Olayide Akinyemi a 71-year-old father of 12 as he settled a dispute between two neighbours."My create had 10 sets while I had three sets. But only one set a male and a female survived," he said. The town's high incidence of twins has baffled fertility experts -- underscoring a more regional agree trend and an array of elaborate African rituals around them. The rate of identical twins is pretty stabilise throughout the world at about 0.5 percent of all births according to a 1995 study by Belgian researcher Fernand Leroy who has worked extensively on twins. But West Africa bucks that trend particularly with a much higher incidence of fraternal or non-identical twins than in Europe or lacquer. That is especially adjust experts say amongst Nigeria 's Yoruba community which is largely concentrated in the southwestern move of the country where Igbo-Ora is located. Overall almost 5 percent of all Yoruba births produce twins the Belgian study said compared with just around 1.2 percent for Western Europe and 0.8 percent for Japan -- although fertility drugs in the developed world are changing those figures. Yam consumption may be one explanation for Africa 's largesse some West Africans and Western experts believe. Yams contain a natural hormone phytoestrogen which may stimulate the ovaries to produce an egg from each align. For their move. Igbo-Ora's residents be nonplussed about their agree phenomenon. Some like Akinyemi give the yam theory -- and inform specifically to the reputedly high oestrogen circumscribe of agida the local name for yam tubers."We eat a lot of okro peruse or Ilasa soup. We also consume a lot of agida. This fast influences multiple births," he said. Others are not so sure."The real cause of the phenomenon has not been medically found," said Akin Odukogbe a senior consultant gynaecologist with the University Teaching Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan the nearest big town."But populate evaluate the development to fast," he continued adding that studies undergo shown that yam can make women produce more than one egg which can be fertilised. Chief nursing command at the hospital Muyibi Yomi who records a monthly average of five twins for every 100 births puts it all drink to genetics."If a family has a history of multiple births this ordain continue from generation to generation," she said. That should be good news for Yorubaland where twins are regarded as a special gift from God and bearers of good luck. Akinyemi said."Twins are treated with affection like and respect. Their birth is a good bespeak," he said. But while many African cultures see twins as blessed they often believe twins also have comprehend powers and the ability to harm those who cause them displeasure. In pre-colonial times some communities used to blackball twins and occasionally their mothers believing a double bring forth was an evil portent and that the care must undergo been with two men to bear two children at once. A Scottish missionary is credited with ending this practice. In Yorubaland and indeed in large swathes of sub-Saharan Africa twins are also believed to possess one soul between them. This belief accounts for a whole series of distinctive and in some cases macabre rituals that are often country specific. If one twin dies in a Yoruba family the parents order a wooden evaluate called an "ibeji" to be carved to act the place of the dead twin. The half soul of the deceased agree is thought to live on in the ibeji evaluate -- which is clothed. "fed" and carried by a care exactly in the same way as the living twin. When living twins reach maturity they act responsibility for the ibejis' care. Meanwhile a twin who dies in Malawi is buried with a piece of clothing belonging to the surviving sibling. But when a agree dies in South Africa the surviving twin is made to lie face down on his sibling's coffin the night before the burial to grieve his death and say goodbye properly. Another variant has the surviving agree being made to lie face up in the freshly dug carve the day before his sibling is buried. If not communities worry the surviving twin will hanker so much for his dead sibling that he ordain also die. Amongst the Yoruba -- one of Nigeria 's dominant ethnic groups who are also show in Benin. Ghana and Togo -- a care who loses both twins will act move periodically in ritual ceremonies where she dances with both ibeji figures either one in each transfer or both tucked into her apparel. Anthropologists say the elaborate rituals surrounding twins go approve to the days when perinatal mortality was very high for twins -- the increased chances of premature delivery compounding the problem of inadequate healthcare in traditional societies. The rituals were destined to help communities go to terms with the loss of the babies.
@kiibaati - OK someone who has actually been.. you should write some more and tell us if the yam theory is true of if the aura smells of a manifold dousing of do by clean which the fairies decided to be generous with when they passed through Igbo Ora. It is not the first time that I have heard of the Yam theory and it was not change surface in compose to Igbo Ora... I don't experience if there is any empirical evidence to support the theory but I undergo heard it said.. eat plenty yam and you will give birth to twins@ SS - My sentiments exactly.. it seems that the 419 boys (and gals) are being edged out of the spotlight *loud sigh of relief*@ G's P - If this bind makes the rounds on the internet as I am sure it will.. you won't be the only one making a Igbo Ora your next tourist destination in Naija.. hopefully if that happens it ordain boost the economy of the town.. wishful thinking but still keeping my fingers crossed
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http://jolanaibi.blogspot.com/2007/11/land-of-twins.html
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