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Colombian laboratory confirms case of twins with different fathers

2 sources · 24 Apr 2026

In 2018, a Colombian woman had a paternity test done on twins and discovered that each child had a different father. The laboratory at the National University of Colombia confirmed the case of heteropaternal superfecundation, a very rare phenomenon.

Heteropaternal superfecundation is an extremely rare phenomenon where twins are born with different fathers during the same menstrual cycle. About twenty such cases have been reported in scientific articles worldwide, with only three cases found in a database of 39,000 paternity tests.

Where they disagree: 4 partial reports · 3 consensus points See the disagreements →

What the sources say

Consensus
3
all sources agree
Partial
4
only one or two report
Disputed
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sources contradict each other

Click any claim to see the source quotes and primary documents.

Consensus

A woman went to the laboratory at the National University of Colombia in 2018 for paternity testing of twins born two years earlier

2 sources
Consensus

The phenomenon is known as heteropaternal superfecundation

2 sources
Consensus

About 20 similar cases have been reported in the worldwide scientific literature

2 sources
Unconfirmed exclusive
1 source · tap to expand

The test was performed using microsatellite marker technology, analyzing 17 DNA points from the mother, babies and alleged father

⚠ only one source — exclusive, unconfirmed

Reported by: A Gazeta
Silence from: f5.folha.uol.com.br
Unconfirmed exclusive
1 source · tap to expand

The alleged father's DNA matched one of the boys, but not the other

⚠ only one source — exclusive, unconfirmed

Reported by: A Gazeta
Silence from: f5.folha.uol.com.br
Unconfirmed exclusive
1 source · tap to expand

The test was repeated to confirm the result

⚠ only one source — exclusive, unconfirmed

Reported by: A Gazeta
Silence from: f5.folha.uol.com.br
Unconfirmed exclusive
1 source · tap to expand

For heteropaternal superfecundation to occur, the woman must have two sexual partners within a short time frame, polyovulation must occur and fertilization must happen both times

⚠ only one source — exclusive, unconfirmed

Reported by: A Gazeta
Silence from: f5.folha.uol.com.br

All sources

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