Is Weinberg's differential rule defective ?

Renkonen, K. O.

doi:10.1111/j.1469-1809.1967.tb00028.x

Cited by 18 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Some doubts about Weinberg's differential method for estimating the zygosity of twins were raised by findings of placental morphology and genetic characteristics, such as blood type or fingerprint (James, 1971;Myrianthopoulos, 1970;Renkonen, 1967). The main criticism was that the proportion of dizygotic twins was underestimated in Weinberg's assumption, but it is not practicable to attempt a precise diagnosis of zygosity at the time of delivery on a population scale.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology of twin births from a climatic point of view.

Kamimura¹

1976

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health

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Epidemiology of twin births from a climatic point of view. The twinning rate was analysed using figures taken from statistics for Japan. During the years 1955 to 1959 there were 58 570 twin deliveries out of a total of 9 088 233, a frequency of 6-44 per 1000. Using Weinberg's differential method for zygosity estimation, the monozygotic twinning rate was 4 04 per 1000 and the dizygotic was 2-40. Twinning rates in 46 prefectures were also estimated and their correlations with meteorological parameters as well as with the mortality from cerebrovascular disease were examined. The twinning rates increased from a low level in the south west to a high level in the north east of Japan. The tendency was more obvious for the dizygotic than the monozygotic twinning rate. A negative correlation was observed between incidence rates of dizygotic twins and mean airtemperatures throughout the year, and a positive one between incidences of dizygotic twins and mortality rates for vascular lesions affecting the central nervous system in 46 prefectures. A seasonal variation of twinning rates was also observed in Niigata City for statistics of births during the periods 1948-55 and 1963-70. This took the form of a bimodal curve, with high conception rates for twin births in intermediate mild seasons, the spring and autumn and, low rates in the more stressful hot and cold seasons. These relationships between climate and twin births within a single race-group are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Epidemiology of twin births from a climatic point of view.

Kamimura¹

1976

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health

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“…It has been suggested that Weinberg's difference rule results in an overestimation of MZ frequencies because of the excess of like-sexed twins in DZ twin maternities [43]. It may easily by seen that the degree of overestimation is proportional to the DZTR, which, in general, has decreased in the period 1960-1984.…”

Section: Estìmation Of Mztrmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing Trend in the Monozygotic Twinning Rate

Bressers

Eriksson²,

Kostense

et al. 1987

Acta genet. med. gemellol.: twin res.

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Recent changes in the estimated incidence of monozygotic twinning in 15 European populations are described. The overall trend was an increase in the monozygotic twinning rate (MZTR) since the 1960s, particularly in those countries in which the use of oral contraceptives (OC) was widespread. A slower increase or even a decrease in the MZTR was observed in countries with low use of OC. Some countries, eg, Sweden, demonstrated an unexpectedly sharp increase since the 1960s. In Poland and the Federal Republic of Germany the MZTR was already strongly increasing as early as in the 1950s, clearly before the introduction of the pill. The influence of several other factors on the MZTR is discussed, such as toxic and teratogenic agents, pelvic infection diseases caused by the use of intrauterine devices, the increased use of ovulation inducers and neuroleptics as well as changes in the registration of perinatal deaths.

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“…The Weinberg method cannot correct for losses of only one of twins in a gestation, information that is also usually not recorded in birth statistics. It is, therefore, not surprising that the method has often been criticized (e.g., Renkonen 1967 ;and reply by Cannings 1969 ;James 1971James , 1984Keith 1974 ) . Nevertheless, it is a unique and valuable tool to assess the approximate frequency of DZ vs. MZ twins in a population.…”

Section: Multiple Pregnancies 25mentioning

confidence: 96%