Genetic and environmental variation in the birth weight of twins

Vlietinck, Robert; Derom, R.; Neale, Michael C.; Maes, Hermine H.; Loon, H. Van; Derom, Cathérine; Thiéry, Michel

doi:10.1007/bf01065890

Cited by 97 publications

(83 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…It is this higher risk of prematurity, of course, that is responsible for the higher rate of perinatal injury in twins than in singletons which, in turn, increases the within-pair variance on traits susceptible to the effects of such injury, thus leading to underestimates of the heritability of such traits in single-born persons [33]. The 1,775 MZ twins in our older cohort had a mean gestational age 0.3 weeks shorter than that for the 2,265 DZs; this small difference is statistically significant and identical to the difference reported in a study of 1,855 twin pairs born in Belgium from 1964 to 1987 [41]. Our older cohort, born from 1936-55, had a mean gestational age of 38.5 weeks, longer than the Belgian mean, 37.0 weeks, which is the value reported by Bulmer [6] as the average length of a twin pregnancy, and much longer than the mean, 33.8 weeks, for our younger cohort, born 1971-81.…”

Section: Gestational Agesupporting

confidence: 73%

“…Contrary to the recent Belgian findings [41], male twins were slightly heavier than females (94.5 vs 89.3 oz, P < 0.0001) and DZs were significantly heavier (P < 0.0001) than MZ twins. Birth weight increases, of course, with gestational age, as is shown in Fig.…”

Section: Birth Weightscontrasting

confidence: 54%

“…Once again, there is no suggestion of an MZ:DZ difference, ie, no evidence of heritability of birth weight. Vlietinck et al [41], modeling with LISREL the birth weight of 1,855 Belgian twin pairs born since 1964, attributed 22.5% of the variance to additive genetic factors; perhaps their prospective study achieved more accurate estimates of gestational age than were available to us. In any case, it is notable that birth weight is the only dependent variable we have so far encountered on which DZ twins are as similar as MZ twins for both sexes, and the only variable for which shared environment is the major source of phenotypic variance.…”

Section: Anthropometric Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

The Minnesota Twin Family Registry: Some Initial Findings

Lykken

Bouchard

McGue

et al. 1990

Acta genet. med. gemellol.: twin res.

300

192

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Abstract. A birth-record based Registry is nearing completion of some 8,000 pairs of twins born in Minnesota from 1936 to 1955, plus some 1,200 pairs of male twins born 1971-81. The middle-aged twins were recruited with graded incentives so that ease of recruitment could be measured; it was found that pairs concordant for ease of recruitment were no more similar than discordant pairs in education, socioeconomic status (SES), or a variety of personality and interest factors, ie, that selection bias may not be a problem in research with adult twins when contacts are only by mail. A 50% decrease in neonatal mortality from 1936-55 to 1971-81 was associated with an increase from 3.5 to 4.0 per thousand in the frequency of viable MZ twin births. The broad heritability of SES, educational attainment, fecundity, and risk for divorce ranges from 0.30 to 0.50, although all 4 variables are plainly multifactorial and the latter 2 both involve variance contributed by a second person. Investigators interested in making use of this research resource are invited to submit proposals.

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Section: Gestational Agesupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: Birth Weightscontrasting

confidence: 54%

Section: Anthropometric Datamentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

The Minnesota Twin Family Registry: Some Initial Findings

Lykken

Bouchard

McGue

et al. 1990

Acta genet. med. gemellol.: twin res.

300

192

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…4 These high estimates apply to twins reared both together and apart. Except for the newborn period for which a lower heritability of 0.4 has been calculated 5 age does not affect heritability estimates to a substantial degree. Evidently, the influence of the intrauterine environment on birth weight is strong.…”

Section: Heritability Estimates: What Do They Imply?mentioning

confidence: 99%

The genetics of obesity: practical implications

et al. 2001

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Over the past years substantial progress has been made in the molecular elucidation of monogenic forms of obesity both in rodents and in humans. In addition, several quantitive trait loci have been mapped in mice. In humans, non-parametric linkage studies have led to the identification of relevant chromosomal regions, some of which have already been confirmed. In this review we focus on an interpretation of the heritability estimates obtained in twin, family and adoption studies. These estimates include both direct and indirect genetic effects. Non-additive genetic factors seemingly contribute even more than additive factors. The importance of the non-shared environment is stressed. GeneÂgene interactions need to be considered when interpreting recent molecular genetic results pertaining to haplo-insufficiency mutations in the melanocortin-4 receptor gene. We conclude by discussing the implications of the recent molecular findings in humans for phenotypical assessment in ongoing family studies.

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“…• After standardization for gestational age, the birth weight of twins is mainly determined by maternal factors, especially the mother's genetic make-up, and to a lesser extent by the chorion type and the genes of the foetuses and their common environment (Vlietinck et al, 1989). …”

Section: A Summary Of Major Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey (EFPTS): An Actual Perception

et al. 2012

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The East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey (EFPTS) is a prospective, population-based registry of multiple births in the province of East-Flanders, Belgium. EFPTS has several unique features: it is population-based and prospective, with the possibility of long-term follow-up; the twins (and higher order multiple births) are recruited at birth; basic perinatal data recorded; chorion type and zygosity established; and since 1969 placental biopsies have been taken and frozen at −20• C for later determination of genetic markers. The EFPTS is the only large register that includes placental data and allows differentiation of three subtypes of monozygotic (MZ) twins based on the time of the initial zygotic division: the dichorionic-diamnionic pairs (early, with splitting before the fourth day after fertilization), the monochorionic-diamnionic pairs (intermediate, splitting between the fourth and the seventh day post-fertilization), and the monochorionicmonoamnionic pairs (late, splitting after the eighth day post-fertilization). Studies can be initiated taking into account primary biases, those originating 'in utero'. Such studies could throw new light on the controversy over the validity of the classic twin method, the consequences of early embryological events, and the gene-environment interactions as far as periconceptional and intrauterine environment are concerned.

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Genetic and environmental variation in the birth weight of twins

Cited by 97 publications

References 10 publications

The Minnesota Twin Family Registry: Some Initial Findings

The Minnesota Twin Family Registry: Some Initial Findings

The genetics of obesity: practical implications

The East Flanders Prospective Twin Survey (EFPTS): An Actual Perception

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