r/BeAmazed • u/mikeyv683 • Jan 22 '25

History Identical triplet brothers, who were separated and adopted at birth, only learned of each other’s existence when 2 of the brothers met while attending the same college

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u/Proper_Race9407 Jan 23 '25

I have a theory that their mother was secretly impregnated through artificial insemination while she was institutionalized (yes, she was admitted to a mental hospital). This is because having 3 or 4 identical twins is extremely rare to occur naturally, the chances of conceiving monozygotic quadruplets are estimated to be around 1 in 15 million to 1 in 70 million pregnancies. Such occurrences are more common in cases involving artificial insemination.

This could explain why the study's records remain sealed to this day... The perpetrators are possibly still alive.

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u/MyDogisaQT Jan 23 '25

1 in 15 million when there are 5 billion (at the time) people? It’s totally possible.

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u/Lazy_Fall_6 Jan 23 '25

Exactly, even if lengthened to 1 in 70 million there could be many cases of identical quadruplets alive at any given time in the US alone

Edit:

There are seemingly 122 million pregnancies per year worldwide. So that could be 2 cases of identical quadruplets every 3 years.

Rare? Absolutely! Impossible, no.

https://www.unfpa.org/press/nearly-half-all-pregnancies-are-unintended-global-crisis-says-new-unfpa-report

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u/Upstairs-Hedgehog575 Jan 23 '25

They didn’t say it was impossible, that said it was extremely rare - which is an understatement. Their theory isn’t all that wild given that there are only 72 documented cases of naturally conceived identical quadruplets in medical history.

I can’t find how many have been in the states, but it’s going to be very very few indeed. I can’t find much about the mother, but if the study was indeed looking into mental health then it would have been easier for them to create the test subjects themselves rather than waiting for them - with quadruplets obviously being an unintended (but presumably welcome) consequence. Or equally plausible is that a woman with mental health issues decided she couldn’t look after 4 boys! I guess we might find out in 2065. 

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u/Upstairs-Hedgehog575 Jan 23 '25

There have only been 72 documented cases in worldwide medical history of a naturally conceived set of identical quadruplets. Of course it’s possible, they didn’t say otherwise. But, as they said, it is extremely rare - so the theory isn’t crazy, especially if the study was looking at mental health. 

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u/EatsBugs Jan 23 '25

Yes compound with the odds she was in a mental facility already being examined, it doesn’t add up well

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u/maffy118 Jan 23 '25

Ah, a mathlete steps in. Finally! :)

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u/Proper_Race9407 Jan 23 '25

I didn't say it was impossible. I simply said I personally believe her pregnancy was deliberately caused as part of the research being conducted.

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u/OneDropOfOcean Jan 23 '25

Can I add my theory when I watched this, that it was government sponsored research. Potentially to check on nature v nurture outcomes.

All the sets of siblings had been split into different socio economic households. That part was clearly on purpose, but why? And I imagine that is also part of the reason it's all sealed.

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u/[deleted] Jan 23 '25 edited Jan 23 '25

Very likely not a natural pregnancy...They could also have asked for her "consent" istead of doing it secretly .  Maybe they promised money or a better treatment or any kind of benefit, which is a criminal thing to do to a person who sufferens from mental illness and is under care in a mental hospital.

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u/ChilliOil67 Jan 23 '25

Artificial insemination leads to more twins triplets etc because they fertilise multiple eggs and put them back in the mother - it leads to a lot more non-identical twins. What's the relation with identical twins and artificial insemination?

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u/touching_payants Jan 23 '25

Artificial insemination doesn't cause identical twins, that would be a mutation with the fertilized egg cell

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u/PriscillaPalava Jan 23 '25

Identical multiples are more common with IVF (probably because the embryo undergoes unnatural stress making it more likely to split) but we by no means have the technology to do it on purpose. Certainly not back in the 1960’s when these guys were born. 

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u/Proper_Race9407 Jan 24 '25

Yeah, you're probably right.

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u/BravestCashew Jan 23 '25

You should really watch the documentary on these three, it’s called Three Identical Strangers