Genetically identical boy triplets beat odds of 200million-to-one to be born exactly the same

To be told she was expecting triplets was a big enough shock for any mother-to-be.

Now thriving at home after spending six weeks in intensive care, little Roman, Rocco and Rohan had another surprise in store for Becki-Jo Allen, however.

After being told how similar they looked by other mums, she sent off samples of DNA to be tested – and she has now been told that against odds of up to an incredible 200 million to one, the naturally conceived trio are identical.

Fortunately for their 23-year-old mother, tell-tale features plus the ten-month-old triplets’ emerging personalities mean she for one has no trouble telling them apart.

‘When they were newborns it was quite hard to tell which one was which, but I never got them mixed up myself,’ she said yesterday.

‘They’ve all got dark birthmarks between their eyebrows, but Roman’s is slightly darker than the others’, and Rohan has got a birthmark on his leg as well.

 ‘When they were in the hospital, the doctors said they were non-identical, but since they came home lots of people have said they can’t tell them apart.’

According to the Multiple Births Foundation, the only way to establish for certain whether twins or triplets are identical – known as zygosity determination – is usually DNA testing.

After consulting them, Miss Allen took cheek swabs from Roman, Rocco and Rohan and sent them off to a laboratory to be analysed – and earlier this month received the news that they are genetically identical.

They are the youngest of what is thought to be only a handful of naturally conceived sets of identical triplets in the UK.

‘I was surprised because I expected them to be non-identical,’ she said. ‘But then I’m normally the only one who can tell them apart, so that does explain a lot!’

Miss Allen, from Gateacre, Liverpool, who also has a three-year-old daughter, Indiana, had an early scan nine weeks into the pregnancy due to severe headaches and nausea – and was given the bombshell news she was expecting triplets.

‘I couldn’t believe it,’ she said. ‘I hadn’t even thought it might be twins, let along triplets, and we haven’t got any in the family.’

Doctors from Liverpool Women’s Hospital carried out weekly scans, and the triplets were delivered by caesarean section at 31 weeks. Rocco was 3lb 5oz, Roman was 3lb 6oz and Rohan was 3lb 10oz.

Now thriving at home, their personalities are starting to show through, their mother said.

‘Rohan is the loud one, he’s always shouting,’ she said. ‘Rocco is normally quite laid-back, but he can be feisty too, while Roman is usually complaining that he doesn’t want to share.

‘They’re always crawling about after the same toy, trying to get to it before their brothers do.

‘Indiana loves them, she’s not one bit jealous – I do feel a bit sorry for her when I think what it’s going to be like growing up with three little brothers though!’

The triplets get through around 130 nappies a week between them and four packs of baby wipes, while a pack of formula lasts about two days and the washing machine is run around three times a day.

As their father, Liam Tierney, 28, does not live with her, much of the day to day help comes from her sister Lauren, 17.

Before having Indiana, their mother’s ambition was to train as a neo-natal nurse – a wish she is even more keen to fulfil after what she has gone through. 

‘All the help and medical attention we’ve received has been wonderful,’ she added. ‘I’m just so happy they’re all doing so well now.’

Identical triplets are conceived when the fertilised egg splits twice. The odds against them occurring without fertility treatment have been put at between one in 60,000 and one in 200million.

If twins or triplets shared one membrane in the womb, they must be identical (monozygotic). If not, the placentas are indistinguishable from those of non-identical (dizygotic) siblings, and only DNA testing can confirm for certain.

In 2014 the Daily Mail told how Karen Gilbert, from Pontypool, South Wales, resorted to painting her one-year-old identical triplets’ toenails in different colours every morning so she could tell Ffion, Maddison and Paige apart.

Identical triplets Leila, Liina and Lily Luik, 30, will all compete for Estonia in the marathon at this year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

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