Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T14:28:54.814Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Birthweight Differences, The Transfusion Syndrome and The Cognitive Development of Monozygotic Twins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

P.J. O'Brien  and
D.A. Hay
P.J. O'Brien
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics and Human Variation, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
D.A. Hay*
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics and Human Variation, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
*
Department of Psychology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Monochorionic twins may differ from dichorionic monozygotic (MZ) twins because of the transfusion syndrome and the timing of the cleavage of the zygote. Intrapair birthweight differences may be an indicator of these intrauterine variables. Previous evidence concerning weight differences and intellectual ability in MZ twins is reviewed with recommendations that future research also incorporates full placental data. Poorer scores on a nonverbal test are found for the lighter male twin of pairs with large intrapair differences in birthweight. Co-twin concordance rates for test scores are also highest for this group indicating that they vary consistently from other groups. Some evidence is presented from the present and earlier studies implicating anomalies of asymmetry or the transfusion syndrome as possible causes of these differences in brain functioning. The study adds further doubts as to the validity of any assumption of developmental equivalence between MZ twins and the general population.

Keywords

BirthweightFeto-fetal transfusionMonochorionic twinsCognitive development
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 36 , Issue 2 , April 1987 , pp. 181 - 196
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1987

References

REFERENCES

1.Abraham, JM (1967): Intrauterine feto-fetal transfusion syndrome - Clinical observations and speculations on pathogenesis. Clin Pediatr 6:405–410.Google Scholar
2.Aherne, N, Strong, SJ, Corney, G (1968): The structure of placenta in the twin transfusion syndrome. Biol Neonatol 12:121–135.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Babson, SG, Kangas, J, Young, N, Bramhall, L (1964): Growth and development of twins dissimilar in size at birth. Pediatrics 33:327–333.Google ScholarPubMed
4.Babson, SG, Phillips, DS (1973): Growth and development of twins dissimilar in size at birth. New Engl J Med 289:937–940.Google Scholar
5.Bailey, MJ, Horn, JM (1986): A source of variance in IQ unique to the lower scoring monozygotic (MZ) co-twin. Behav Genet 16:509–516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Benirschke, K (1961): Examination of the placenta - accurate recording of twin placentation - a plea to the obstetrician. Obstet Gynecol 18:309.Google Scholar
7.Benirschke, K, Driscoll, SG (1967): The Pathology of the Human Placenta. New York: Springer Verlag.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Benirschke, K, Kim, CK (1973): Multiple pregnancy Part I - II. New Engl J Med 288:1276–1284, 1329–1336.Google Scholar
9.Boklage, CE (1981): On the timing of MZ twinning events. In Gedda, L, Parisi, P, Nance, WE (eds): Twin Research 3. Part A. New York: Alan R. Liss, pp 155–165.Google Scholar
10.Brown, B (1977): Placentation effects on birth-weight and IQ in MZ twins. Paper presented at the meeting of Society for Research in Child Dev., New Orleans.Google Scholar
11.Bulmer, MG (1970): The Biology of Twinning in Man. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
12.Bryan, EM (1977): IgG deficiency in association with placental oedema. Early Hum Dev 1:133–143.Google Scholar
13.Bryan, EM (1983): The Nature and Nurture of Twins. London: Bailliere Tindall.Google Scholar
14.Cameron, AH (1968): The Birmingham Twin Survey. Proc Roy Soc Med 61:229–234.Google Scholar
15.Churchhill, JA (1965): The relation between intelligence and birth-weight in twins. Neurology 15:341–347.Google Scholar
16.Corey, LA, Nance, WE, Kang, KW, Christian, JC (1979): Effects of type of placentation on birthweight and its variability in monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 28:41–50.Google Scholar
17.Corney, G, Robson, EB, Strong, SJ (1972): The effect of zygosity on the birthweight of twins. Ann Hum Genet 36:45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Corney, G (1978): Twin placentation and some effects on twins of known zygosity. In Nance, WE, Allen, G, Parisi, P (eds): Twin Research: Biology and Epidemiology. New York: Alan R Liss, pp 9–16.Google Scholar
19.Corney, G (1979): The effect of zygosity on birth-weight of twins in Aberdeen and NE Scotland. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 28:353–360.Google Scholar
20.Drillien, CM (1970): The small for date infant: Etiology and prognosis. Pediatr Clin North Am 17:9–24.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Foley, D (1983): The effect of the feto-fetal transfusion syndrome in monozygotic twins on later physical and mental development. Unpublished report, La Trobe University, Australia.Google Scholar
22.Friedman, EA, Sachtleben, MS, Friedman, LM (1977): Relative birthweight in twins. Obstet Gynecol 49:717–720.Google Scholar
23.Fujikura, T, Froehlich, LA (1970): Twin placentation and zygosity. Obstet Gynecol 37:34–43Google Scholar
24.Fujikura, T, Froelich, LA (1974): Mental and motor development in MZ co-twins with dissimilar birth-weights. Pediatrics 53:884–889.Google Scholar
25.Hay, DA, Howie, PM (1980): Handedness and differences in birthweight in twins. Perceptual and Motor Skills 51:666.Google Scholar
26.Hay, DA, O'Brien, PJ (1981): The interaction of family attitudes and cognitive abilities in the La Trobe study of behavioural and biological development. In Gedda, L, Parisi, P, Nance, WE (eds): Twin research 3. Part B. New York: Alan R. Liss, pp 235–250.Google Scholar
27.Hay, DA, O'Brien, PJ (1983): The La Trobe Twin Study: a genetic approach to the structure and development of cognition in twin children. Child Dev 54:317–330.Google Scholar
28.James, WH (1982): The IQ advantage of the heavier twin. Br J Psych 73:513–517.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
29.Kamin, LJ (1978): Transfusion syndrome and the heritability of IQ. Ann Hum Genet 42:161–171.Google Scholar
30.Kaebler, GT, Pugh, JF (1969): Influence of intrauterine relations on the intelligence of the twins. New Engl J Med 280:1030–1040.Google Scholar
31.Kaebler, CT, Pugh, TF (1969): Erratum. New Engl J Med 281:332.Google Scholar
32.MacGillivray, I, Nylander, P, Corney, G (1975): Human Multiple Reproduction. London: WB Saunders Co.Google Scholar
33.MacGillivray, I (1978): Twin pregnancies. In Obstetrics and Gynaecology Annual, 135–151.Google Scholar
34.Marsh, RW (1980): The significance for intelligence of differences in birth-weight and health within monozygotic twin pairs. Br J Psych 71:63–67.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
35.Melnick, M, Myrianthopoulos, NC, Christian, JC (1978): The effect of chorion type on variation in IQ in the NCPP twin population. Am J Hum Genet 30:425–433.Google Scholar
36.Munsinger, H (1971): The identical twin transfusion syndrome. A source of error in estimating IQ resemblance and heritability. Hum Genet 40:307–321.Google Scholar
37.Nylander, PPS (1969): The value of the placenta in the determination of zygosity - A study of 1,052 Nigerian twin maternities. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Commonw 76:699–704.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
38.Potter, EL (1963): Twin zygosity and placental form in relation to outcome of pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 87:566–577.Google Scholar
39.Price, B (1950): Primary biases in twin studies: A review of prenatal and natal difference-producing factors in monozygotic pairs. Am J Hum Genet 2:293–352.Google Scholar
40.Rausen, AR, Seki, M, Strauss, K (1965): Twin transfusion syndrome. A review of 19 cases studied at one institution. J Pediatr 66:613–628.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
41.Rose, R, Uchida, I, Christian, JC (1981): Placentation effects on cognitive resemblance of adult monozygotes. In Gedda, L, Parisi, P, Nance, WE (eds): Twin Research 3. Part B. New York: Alan R Liss, pp 37–41.Google Scholar
42.Scarr, S (1969): Effects of birth-weight on later intelligence. Soc Biol 16:249–256.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
43.Springer, SP, Searleman, A (1980): Left handedness in twins: implications for the mechanisms underlying cerebral assymmetry of function. In Herron, J (ed): Neuropsychology of lefthandedness. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
44.Strong, SJ, Corney, G (1967): The Placenta in Twin Pregnancy. Oxford: Pergamon Press.Google Scholar
45.Welch, P, Black, KN, Christian, JC (1978): Placental type and Bailey mental development score in 18-months-old twins. In Nance, WE, Allen, G, Parisi, P (eds): Twin Research 3: Psychology and Methodology. New York: Alan R Liss, pp 145–149.Google Scholar
46.Yoshida, K, Soma, H (1984): A study of twin placentation in Tokyo. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 33:115–120.Google Scholar