Waardenburg’s syndrome involves deafness accompanied by various visual difficulties. The role of twins in identifying this disorder and advancing understanding of its origins and symptoms is described, beginning in 1916 and continuing to the present. This overview is followed by current research on monozygotic (MZ) twins’ different dermatoglyphic features, twins with sagittal suture crainosynostosis, blood pressure in female twins, and MZ twins’ education and political knowledge. The final section presents media reports describing controversies surrounding twins created by reciprocal in vitro fertilization, reared-apart triplets’ limited TV series, abducted twin infants, the Winkelvoss twins’ charges by the Securities and Exchange Commission, and going from ‘Me’ to ‘We’.

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anemia in twin pregnancies and the influence of anemia on maternal and neonatal outcomes. This retrospective study included twin pregnant women who delivered in a tertiary hospital in China from January 2018 to December 2018. Patients were divided by WHO criteria (hemoglobin <11.0 g/dL): the anemic and nonanemic groups. Patients with anemia were further classified as recovered or unrecovered subgroup after oral iron therapy. Maternal and neonatal outcomes in women carrying twins were compared using Student’s t test and the chi-squared test or the Fisher exact test. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the association of maternal and neonatal characteristics with anemia. Linear regression analysis was used to estimate mean birth weight and gestational week. The prevalence of anemia was 42.6% (182/427) in twin pregnancies. The anemic group had higher rates of low 1-minute Apgar score (4.4% vs. 1.8%, p = .028), perinatal death (1.9% vs. 0.2%, p = .012) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission (27.2% vs. 20.2%, p = .017; adjusted OR, 1.478; 95% CI [1.07, 2.044]). The recovered subgroup had lower NICU admission rate (13.5% vs. 30.3%, p = .006; OR, 0.388; 95% CI [0.186, 0.809]), higher gestational week and birth weight (β, 0.954 week; 95% CI [0.114, 1.794] and β, 171.01 g; 95% CI [9.894, 332.126] respectively). The prevalence of anemia in twin gestation is high. Anemia is associated with adverse neonatal outcomes, and correction of anemia significantly improved the pregnancy outcomes.

The 18th International Society for Twin Studies convention took place between June 15−17, 2023, in Budapest, Hungary. A selective sampling of highlights from the meeting are presented. This is followed by a brief overview of ongoing twin research at the University of Aberystwyth in Wales and some twin treasures in the National Library. Next, reviews of timely research that examine temperamental similarities and twin relations, the maximization of twin research designs, a rare ectopic twin pregnancy, and twins’ academic self-concept formation are presented. The final section covers stories appearing in various media sources that are informative, enlightening, and interesting, namely a reunion of identical infant twins, the birth of identical-fraternal quadruplets, identical twin comedians, meeting an unrelated look-alike, and twins in the Tour de France.