Jan 10, 4:33 PM (ET)
BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Two babies born on the same day in the same hospital in Thailand were accidentally switched at birth, but nobody knew about it for a decade.
The parents of the children, now 10 years old, learned last month they had been raising children that biologically were not theirs, doctors said Tuesday.
Doctors at the hospital in the southern Thai province of Trang where the children were born said it was still a mystery how the mix-up occurred, but noted that the pair shared certain traits.
"They were (born) in the same room, had the same weight, and were delivered at the same time," said Sinchai Rongdet, the current director of Yantakhao Hospital where both babies were delivered. "The only difference is their gender."
Doctors typically tell a mother her baby's sex as soon as the child is born and tag the baby's wrist with his or her particulars.
The children - Orawan Chanthong, the girl, and, Cherawut Bunyu, the boy - grew up in neighboring villages and went to the same school. Neighbors constantly told the parents that their children bore close resemblance to the other child's family.
To end nagging curiosity, the parents and children went for DNA tests, Sinchai said.
"DNA tests confirmed that the children were switched," he said, adding that the families have not yet decided how to handle the news.
A senior Health Ministry official, Prat Bunyawongwirot, said the ministry was investigating the incident and assigning psychologists to speak with both children.
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