India's Village With Most Twins

In a remote Indian village named Kodinhi, there are nearly six times as many twins born than the world average.



Just last year, there were 15 sets of twins born out of 300 deliveries in the village. And this year, even more twin births are expected.

Doctors aren't sure why there have been at least 250 sets of twins born to 2,000 families in the remote Indian village of Kodinhi. In the last five years alone, about 60 pairs of twins have been born.

Some 250 sets of twins have been officially registered in the village of 2,000 families.


"In my medical opinion there are around 300 to 350 twins within the village boundaries of Kodinhi," many of whom aren't registered. A twin enthusiast and local doctor, Sribiju has been studying the village for two years.
"What is fascinating is the increasing numbers of twins with each passing year, so much so that I feel in the past 10 years the number of twins in Kodinhi has doubled ... To the best of my knowledge this medical marvel began somewhere between 60 to 70 years ago."
So why are there so many sets of twins in the village? Doctors are stumped.

Sribiju has ruled out genetic factors and dismisses any suggestion that a pollutant could be the cause, saying that the twins have been born healthy. And infertility treatments like in vitro fertilization haven't been used in the village because of the expense.

"I feel that it is something to do with what the villagers eat and drink," Sribiju said.