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Twin Differences and Similarities of Birthweight and Term in the French Romulus Population

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

C. Charlemaine ,
M. Duyme ,
F. Guis ,
B. Camous ,
Y. Brossard ,
A. Aurengo ,
Le Groupe Romulus ,
R. Frydman  and
J. C. Pons
C. Charlemaine*
Affiliation:
INSERM - U. 155, Laboratory of Biological Anthropology -University of Paris VII
M. Duyme
Affiliation:
INSERM - U. 155, Laboratory of Biological Anthropology -University of Paris VII
F. Guis
Affiliation:
Antoine Béclère Hospital, Clamart
B. Camous
Affiliation:
Antoine Béclère Hospital, Clamart
Y. Brossard
Affiliation:
Saint Antoine Hospital, Paris
A. Aurengo
Affiliation:
INSERM - U. 66, Paris
R. Frydman
Affiliation:
Antoine Béclère Hospital, Clamart
J. C. Pons
Affiliation:
Obstetrics Gynecology Department, CHU Grenoble, France
*
INSERM - U. 155. Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Biologique -, Université Paris VII, Tour 16 - 3éme étage - Case 7041 - 2, Place Jussieu - 75251, Paris 05, France. E.mail <capron@ccr.jussieu.fr>

Abstract

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This study was performed to examine the main characteristics of the French Romulus twin population: zygosity, chorionicity, sex, term and birthweight. A sample of 104 pairs of twins was distinguished by zygosity, chorionicity and sex, and divided into concordant and discordant birthweight groups. Fifty-three % (n = 55) of the fetus pairs studied were born at “ideal term” (35-38 weeks), and 25% (n = 26) were delivered at “preterm” (28-34 weeks). The very preterm (< 28 weeks), and “postterm” (> 38 weeks) represented altogether 22% (n = 23) of the sample. Of the 104 twin pairs, 68% (n = 71) differ by less than 15% in birthweight, and 32% (n = 33) have a birthweight difference higher than 15%. In dizygotic (DZ) pairs females had more tendency to be in the discordant group (p = 0.01) while in monochorionic-monozygotic (MC-MZ) pairs males were more discordant (p = 0.07). We found a significant interaction between sex and zygosity type (p = 0.02). Males had a birthweight difference significantly weaker than that of females in dichorionic-monozygotic (DC-MZ) and DZ twins whereas it was higher than that of females in MC-MZ twins. There were no MZ twin pairs with DC placentation over than 15% birthweight difference. Log linear analysis demonstrated a three-way interaction (p < 0.05) between term type, zygosity type and hypotrophy. Our data indicate that in the group of twins born between 35 and 38 weeks' gestation the crucial question still remains unsettled on how term and birhweight are related to zygotism and/or chorionicity.

Keywords

ZygosityChorionicityBirthweightConcordanceDiscordance“Ideal term”PrematurityHypotrophy
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 47 , Issue 1 , January 1998 , pp. 1 - 12
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1998

References

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