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Twins: Are They at Risk? A Longitudinal Study of Twins and Nontwins from Birth to 18 Years of Age

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

B. Alin Åkerman  and
S. Fischbein
B. Alin Åkerman*
Affiliation:
Department of Special Education, Sweden
S. Fischbein
Affiliation:
Department of Educational Research, Stockholm Institute of Education, Sweden
*
Department of Special Education, Stockholm Institute of Education, S-100 26 Stockholm, Sweden

Abstract

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The purpose of this study has been a comparison of a group of twins (145 pairs) and a whole cohort of singletons (114,828 individuals) born 1953 and living in the Stockholm metropolitan area in 1963. The twins and singletons have been followed from birth onwards. A pertinent question is whether twins are at greater risk at birth and whether they are predisposed to below-average mental and physical growth. The results show that twins are more susceptible to lower birth weight, shorter gestation period and birth complications. These factors also seem to have a lasting effect on later physical and mental development. Monozygotic twins, twin girls, and male twins with low birth weight, seem to be particularly at risk for below-average mental and physical growth. An interaction between social background and birth weight can also be seen for the male twin group.

Keywords

TwinsDevelopmentRisk
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , January 1991 , pp. 29 - 40
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1991

References

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