Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7czq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T10:44:22.476Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

What Information Should the Multiple Birth Family Receive Before, During and After the Birth?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

D.A. Hay ,
C. Gleeson ,
C. Davies ,
B. Lorden ,
D. Mitchell  and
L. Paton
D.A. Hay*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, LaTrobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
C. Gleeson
Affiliation:
Australian Multiple Birth Association, Coogee, NSW, Australia
C. Davies
Affiliation:
Australian Multiple Birth Association, Coogee, NSW, Australia
B. Lorden
Affiliation:
Australian Multiple Birth Association, Coogee, NSW, Australia
D. Mitchell
Affiliation:
Australian Multiple Birth Association, Coogee, NSW, Australia
L. Paton
Affiliation:
Australian Multiple Birth Association, Coogee, NSW, Australia
*
Department of Psychology, LaTrobe University, Bundoora, Vic 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.

Advances in the management of the multiple pregnancy and delivery must be accompanied by corresponding improvements in service access outside key centres and especially in the information families receive about what may happen during or after the pregnancy. A major review of birthing services in Victoria has focussed attention on four areas where the quality of information is often inadequate. 1) Prepregnancy and the standard of counselling about the incidence of multiples as a result of fertility drugs and in vitro fertilization procedures and about problems which may accompany a multiple birth. 2) Antenatal: At what stage of the pregnancy should parents be told of the multiple pregnancy and how should monitoring of the mother and procedures such as bedrest take into account what are often conflicting demands within the family? 3) Perinatal: Families are frequently illprepared for a cesarean delivery and for the procedures for premature multiples. The problem is often compounded by separation of the mother from one or both twins. While bereavement services are improving, much still needs to be learned about handling congenital abnormalities in one or more multiples. 4) Postnatal: Irrespective of the level of prenatal advice, families greatly underestimate the workload with multiples. The resulting stress contributes to the incidence of postnatal depression, child abuse and divorce now being reported from multiple birth families. Some suggestions are made from social psychology and genetic counselling about how families can best handle risk information to achieve the goal of neither under- nor overestimating the risks at these different stages of the multiple pregnancy.

Keywords

InformationMultiple birth familyFamily counselling
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 39 , Issue 2 , April 1990 , pp. 259 - 269
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1990

References

REFERENCES

1. Australian Multiple Birth Association, Hay, DA (1984): The dilemma, of families with very low birthweight twins. Proceedings of “The Tiniest Newborns: Survival – What Price?” Melbourne: Centre for Human Bioethics, Monash University, pp 47–59.Google Scholar
2.Bryan, EB (1983): The Nature and Nurture of Twins. London: Bailliere Tindall.Google Scholar
3.Bryan, EB (1986): The death of a newborn twin: How can support for parents be improved? Acta Genet Med Gemellol 35:115–118.Google Scholar
4.Chamberlain, G, Lumley, J (eds) (1986): Prepregnancy Care – A Manual for Practice. Brisbane: Wiley.Google Scholar
5.Cox, JL (1986): Postnatal Depression: A Guide for Health Professionals. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.Google Scholar
6.Crawford, JS 1987: A protective study of 200 consecutive twin deliveries. Anaesthesia 42:33–43.Google Scholar
7.Culp, RE, Osofsky, HJ 1989: Effects of Caesarean delivery on parental depression, marital adjustment, and mother-infant interaction. Birth 16:53–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Doherty, JDH 1988: Perinatal mortality in twins, Australia, 1973-1980:1. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 37:313–320.Google Scholar
9.Golding, J, Limerick, S, Macfarlane, A (1985): Sudden Infant Death Syndrome: Patterns, Puzzles and Problems. Shepton Mallet: Open Books.Google Scholar
10.Goshen-Gottstein, ER 1980: Mothering of twins, triplets and quadruplets. Psychiatry 43:189–204.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Groothuis, JR, Altmeier, WA, Robarge, JP, O'Conner, S, Sandler, H, Vietze, P, Lustig, JV 1982: Increased child abuse in families with twins. Pediatrics 70:769–773.Google Scholar
12.Hay, DA, O'Brien, PJ (1981): The interaction of family attitudes and cognitive abilities in the LaTrobe Twin 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
13.Hay, DA, O'Brien, PJ 1983: The LaTrobe Twin Study: A genetic approach to the structure and development of cognition in twin children. Child Dev 54:317–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Hay, DA, O'Brien, PJ 1984: The role of parental attitudes in the development of temperament in twins at home, school and test situations. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 33:191–204.Google ScholarPubMed
15.Hay, DA 1986: Children at risk. Aust J Early Child 11:6–10.Google Scholar
16.Hay, DA, Prior, M, Collett, S, Williams, M 1987: Speech and language development in-preschool twins. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 36:213–223.Google Scholar
17.Hay, DA, O'Brien, PJ 1987: Early influences on the school social adjustment of twins. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 36:239–248.Google Scholar
18.Hay, DA, MacIndoe, R, O'Brien, PJ 1988: The older sibling of twins. Aust J Early Child 13:25–28.Google Scholar
19.Hay, DA, Tan, LE (1990): One child in 45 is a twin – Do early chilhood services meet their special needs? Proc 9th Aust. Early Child. Conf.Google Scholar
20.Lewis, JM 1988: The transition to parenthood. II: Stability and change in marital structure. Family Process 27:273–283.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Lumley, J, Astbury, J (1980): Birth Rites, Birth Rights. Melbourne: Sphere.Google Scholar
22.Malmstrom, PEM, Faherty, T, Wagner, P 1988: Essential nonmedical perinatal services for multile birth families. Acta Genet Med Gemelli 37:193–198.Google Scholar
23.Marteau, TM, Johnston, M, Shaw, RW, Michie, S, Kidd, J, New, M 1989: The impact of prenatal screening and diagnostic testing upon the cognitions, emotions and behaviour of pregnant women. J Psychosom Res 33:7–16.Google Scholar
24.O'Brien, PJ, Hay, DA (1984): Is rearing twins different: The development and needs of multiple birth children and their families from birth to school age. In Cross, TG, Riach, LM (eds): Issues and Research in Child Development. Melbourne: Institute of Early Childhood Development, pp 273–281.Google Scholar
25.Olofsson, P, Rydhstron, H 1984: Management in second stage of labour in term twin deliveries. Acta Genet Med Gemelli 34:213–216.Google Scholar
26.Papiernik, E, Muesy, MA, Vial, M, Richard, A 1985: A low rate of perinatal deaths for twins. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 34:201–206.Google Scholar
27.Prior, M, Sanson, A, Oberklaid, F, Northam, E 1987: Measurement of temperament in one to three year old children. Int J Behav Dev 10:121–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28.Rauh, VA, Achenbach, TM, Nurcombe, B, Howell, CT, Teti, DM 1988: Minimising adverse effects of low birthweight: Four-year results of an early intervention program. Child Dev 59:544–553.Google Scholar
29.Riese, ML 1988: Temperament and neonatal risk in full-term and preterm combined vaginal/csearean twin pairs. Acta Genet Med Gemelli 37:239–248.Google Scholar
30.Showers, J, McCleery, JT 1984: Research on twins: Implications for parenting. Child Care, Health and Devrfopment 10:391–404.Google Scholar
31.Tresmontant, R, Heluin, G, Papiernik, E 1983: Cost of care and prevention of preterm births in twin pregnancies. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 32:99–103.Google Scholar