Are twins different from singletons during early childhood?

Robin, Monique; Casati, Irène

doi:10.1002/edp.2430030404

Cited by 21 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Apart from prenatal and perinatal complications (12), the postnatal rearing environment is also likely to influence twins' language development, two important factors in this being the reduced opportunity for dual interaction with the mother and the competition that can exist between twins (14). While some authors have argued that twins 'catch up'in their language development, recent research has shown that language problems can persist into adolescence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are twins’ behavioural/emotional problems different from singletons’?

Moilanen

Linna

Ebeling

et al. 1999

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

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We compared twins with singletons in the National Epidemiological Child Psychiatric Study, which included 122 twins and 5455 singletons, born in 1981 and selected at random. Behavioural and emotional symptoms were assessed in 1989 on the basis of questionnaires filled in by the parents (Rutter Parent Questionnaire) (RA2), teachers (Rutter Teacher Questionnaire) (RB2) and the children themselves (Children's Depression Inventory) (CDI). Parents' reported proportions of probable behavioural/emotional disorders did not differ between the twin and singleton girls, but among the twin boys there was a nonsignificant trend of being more often probably disturbed. Twins were reported to be less disturbed than singletons according to the teachers' assessments. No difference was found between twins and singletons in their self-reports. When analysing parents' reported values of various sum scores, the twin boys obtained slightly higher scores than singletons, while twin girls scored significantly lower on total and emotional disturbances. Twin boys obtained lower mean scores than singletons for probable disorder in the teachers' evaluations, the differences arising mostly in the emotional area. The same type of trend, however nonsignificant, was found among the teachers' evaluations of girls. No significant difference was found in the mean scores for hyperactivity. This large population-based sample suggests that twins may have a lower rate of behavioural problems in childhood than singletons, a finding that has to be taken into account in behavioural genetic studies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are twins’ behavioural/emotional problems different from singletons’?

Moilanen

Linna

Ebeling

et al. 1999

European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

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“…Parents with twins experience increased parenting demands and, thus, can face inadequate sleep, lack of time to care for other children, mood fluctuations, disturbance in the marital relationship, and financial strain (Chang, 1990; Robin & Casati, 1994). Although most of these problems might decrease as the twins grow older, emotional disturbances might continue (Chang, 1990).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal Influence of Paternal Distress on Children’s Representations of Fathers, Family Cohesion, and Family Conflict

et al. 2013

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A parent’s distress is known to color children’s experiences of their families. Studies, however, have rarely focused on the levels of distress experienced by fathers, and in particular, as they affect the emotional experiences of their children. We examine the impact that fathers’ experience of distress throughout their children’s early years has on children’s emerging narrative representations of father-child relationships and of family conflict and cohesion. In this longitudinal investigation, fathers of young children reported their distress on two occasions in relation to self, the marital relationship, and the family climate. Fathers also concurrently reported on their children’s temperament, specifically negative emotionality. Children responded to story stem beginnings about challenging situations in the family and their narratives were scored for dysregulated negative-disciplinary and positive parental behaviors of fathers, family conflict themes, and family harmony themes. It was hypothesized that children of more distressed fathers would represent greater dysregulated fathering and higher levels of family conflict, and lower levels of positive fathering and family harmony than children of less distressed fathers. Further, the study examined whether this effect was mediated through the fathers’ reports of their children’s negative emotionality. Results partially supported the hypothesized direct and indirect effects. Children’s narratives of negative-disciplinary fathering and family conflict were more common in boys when fathers reported greater distress, and temperament ratings fully mediated this effect. However, their narratives of positive fathering and family harmony were not significantly affected. That positive family features were preserved in children’s narratives even in the face of greater father distress suggests that families may be able to build resilience to internalized distress through these positive narrative features.

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“…A multiple birth creates a special parenting situation, with the parents facing particular practical and emotional demands (Robin and Casati, 1994). The diagnosis of a multiple pregnancy often produces reactions of panic and shock in the future parents (Robin et al, 1992).…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%

Prenatal attachment in future parents of twins

et al. 1998

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The present study aims at contributing to a better understanding of prenatal attachment in parents expecting twins. In particular, the relationship between prenatal attachment (measured with the Questionnaire for Antenatal Emotional Attachment) and three other psychosocial factors-the parents' psychosocial well-being and the quality of the marital relationship (respectively assessed with the General Health Questionnaire and the Relational Interactional Satisfaction Scale) and the presence of older children in the family-was investigated in both future mothers and fathers at 27 weeks of gestation. Multiple regression analysis revealed no significant relationship between the intensity of prenatal attachment and either of the three variables. For the mothers, a significant positive relationship was found between the quality of attachment on the one hand and psychosocial well-being and quality of the marital relationship on the other hand. For the fathers, the quality of attachment was only significantly predicted by the quality of the marital relationship.

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Are twins different from singletons during early childhood?

Cited by 21 publications

References 68 publications

Are twins’ behavioural/emotional problems different from singletons’?

Are twins’ behavioural/emotional problems different from singletons’?

Longitudinal Influence of Paternal Distress on Children’s Representations of Fathers, Family Cohesion, and Family Conflict

Prenatal attachment in future parents of twins

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