Twin Children Research Articles

Leprosy in 3-year-old twin children in Mato Grosso, Brazil

Introduction: Mycobacterium leprae is a microorganism that cause leprosy; it has a long, silent, and consumptive evolution. Case Report: twin children with three years old were contactants of a leprosy patient in the family. The two patients have well-defined and irregular skin lesions. Also, they have the BCG-vaccine scar. They were confirmed positive to Mycobacterium by histopathological analysis. Discussion: Especially under five years old, diagnoses are rare and difficult because they simulate other diseases, especially rheumatology. These diagnoses are epidemiological alarms for endemic areas. It shows the importance of symptoms in children and the screening in patients' contact already identified.

The risks of birth defects and childhood cancer with conception by assisted reproductive technology.

The risks of birth defects and childhood cancer with conception by assisted reproductive technology.

Having siblings promotes a more healthy weight status-Whereas only children are at greater risk for higher BMI in later childhood.

BackgroundBirth order and having at least one sibling are known to be associated with an increased risk for development of overweight. However, there are no studies assessing pre- and postnatal factors for developing overweight within families. Therefore, the present study aimed to analyse the association of the mother’s weight gain during pregnancy, prepregnancy BMI, mother’s age at birth, breastfeeding, age gap between siblings, and physical activity together with sibling-related characteristics on the development of overweight in children and adolescents.MethodsData were obtained from the longitudinal LIFE Child cohort. The study sample included n = 1932 children, stratified into first-born (n = 578), second-born (n = 608), third-or-later-born single-born siblings (n = 162), only children (n = 526), and twin children (n = 58). Children with chronic or syndromic diseases, born prematurely or from mothers with gestational diabetes were excluded. Data were adjusted for multiple children per family using mixed models. Pregnancy weight gain, prepregnancy BMI and mother’s age were considered prenatal co-variates. Postnatal factors included the duration of breastfeeding and the children’s physical activity level.ResultsParticularly until the onset of puberty, the BMI-SDS differed between single-born siblings, only children and twins, and increased with birth order. Compared to children with siblings, only children exhibited a strong increase in BMI-SDS starting at age nine. A higher age gap between siblings was associated with a higher BMI-SDS in second- and third-or-later-born children. Single-born siblings had the highest rate and duration of breastfeeding. Physical activity was highest in twins and third-or-later-born children and lowest in only children. In a multivariate model, being an only child showed a highly significant association with BMI-SDS.ConclusionThe present study demonstrated that siblings had a lower BMI-SDS than only children did. For single-born siblings, the association between birth order and increased BMI-SDS seemed to persist only up to 11 years of age.

'Nilam Poothu Malarntha Nal' Naavalil Arasa Vazhvum Paanar Edapeyarchiyum

The man who lived a nomadic life in the early days of the world established his abode in rich areas and established a stable life. Through his exchange of thoughts and ideas many literatures appeared in the settled areas. Literary exchanges took place in Tamil and Malayalam, which are considered to be the twin children of the Dravidian languages. In that way, there has been a need to explore the displacement elements of Panar and Pulavar life through Manojkurur’s Nilam Poothu Malarntha Naal, a novel written in Malayalam in modern times, focusing on Sangam literature which proclaims the antiquity of Tamil. The hardships that occur when Panars go from town to town to see the kings, the disparity between the Panars and the poets, the lifestyles of the Panars community, and the political background are the reasons for the migration.

Three trajectories of gestational weight gain identified in an Australian twin study

ObjectivesGestational weight gain (GWG) has been associated with maternal and child health outcomes, but knowledge of appropriate GWG for twin gestations is limited. Study designThe Peri/Postnatal Epigenetic Twins Study is a prospective twin cohort study of 250 women and their twin children in Melbourne, Australia. We modeled trajectories of GWG using group-based growth modeling and compared these trajectories to GWG categories (within, above, or below current GWG recommendations for twin pregnancy). We fitted robust linear and Poisson regression models to assess associations of maternal pre-pregnancy and gestational exposures with risk of gaining weight outside the recommendations. ResultsOf the 250 women enrolled in the PETS, GWG measures were available for 172 women. Forty-seven percent of women had GWG within the current recommendations. We identified three GWG trajectories – 23.6% of women had low GWG throughout pregnancy, 34.5% had average GWG throughout pregnancy, and 42.0% had average initial GWG, followed by high GWG from trimester two until delivery. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) was associated with increased risk of inadequate GWG (RR: 2.40, 95%CI: 1.53, 3.75). Pre-pregnancy obesity (RR: 1.88, 95%CI: 1.09, 3.26) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (RR: 2.64, 95%CI: 1.20, 5.81) were associated with increased risk of excessive GWG. ConclusionsMore than half of the women in the PETS did not meet the current GWG recommendations. Women with GDM or hypertensive disorders were more likely to gain weight outside these guidelines. More research is needed to establish comprehensive guidelines for twin pregnancies.

Predicting risks of low birth weight in Bangladesh with machine learning.

Background and objectiveLow birth weight is one of the primary causes of child mortality and several diseases of future life in developing countries, especially in Southern Asia. The main objective of this study is to determine the risk factors of low birth weight and predict low birth weight babies based on machine learning algorithms.Materials and methodsLow birth weight data has been taken from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2017–18, which had 2351 respondents. The risk factors associated with low birth weight were investigated using binary logistic regression. Two machine learning-based classifiers (logistic regression and decision tree) were adopted to characterize and predict low birth weight. The model performances were evaluated by accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and area under the curve.ResultsThe average percentage of low birth weight in Bangladesh was 16.2%. The respondent’s region, education, wealth index, height, twin child, and alive child were statistically significant risk factors for low birth weight babies. The logistic regression-based classifier performed 87.6% accuracy and 0.59 area under the curve for holdout (90:10) cross-validation, whereas the decision tree performed 85.4% accuracy and 0.55 area under the curve.ConclusionsLogistic regression-based classifier provided the most accurate classification of low birth weight babies and has the highest accuracy. This study’s findings indicate the necessity for an efficient, cost-effective, and integrated complementary approach to reduce and correctly predict low birth weight babies in Bangladesh.

Assessment of Dental Arch Parameters in Turkish Twins.

The aim of this study is to investigate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to variations in dental dimensions in a sample of Turkish twins, and to estimate heritability using dental casts. The study samples were selected from the twin children between 3-15 years old who referred for their first dental examination. Fifty nine monozygotic and one hundred and forty three dizygotic twin pairs were examined in the study. The alginate impression material used to create the plaster model of maxilla and mandible. Anterior arch width, posterior arch width, arch length and arch circumference were measured on models prepared from measurements taken for both maxilla and mandible with digital caliper. The similarities and differences of the measurements were compared between pairs of twins and zygocytes. Morever, the effects of bad oral habits, bruxism, a result of psychosocial factors on measurements were examined. Statistical analysis was performed using Paired T Test, Wilcoxon Test and Mann Whitney U test. A total of 404 dental models of 118 (29.2%) monozygotic and 286 (70.8%) dizygotic twins were evaluated. There was no statistical difference between sibling pairs in both monozygotic and dizygotic twins. The measurement similarity between twin siblings differed according to zygosity in all measurements (p<0.05). It has been observed that the finger sucking and mouth breathing affect the dental arch measurements (p<0.05). These results indicate that the differences in dental arch dimensions between monozygotic twin pairs are less than the difference between dizygotic twin pairs.

The onset of pubertal development and actigraphy-assessed sleep during middle childhood: Racial, gender, and genetic effects

ObjectiveThis study (1) examined pubertal development in relation to actigraphy-assessed sleep in twin children, and tested whether associations differed by child race and gender, (2) modeled genetic and environmental influences on pubertal development and sleep indicators, and (3) examined genetic and environmental influences on the covariation of puberty and sleep. DesignThe classic twin design was used to examine genetic and environmental contributions to puberty and sleep and their associations. SettingData were collected from community-dwelling urban and rural families of twins in the southwestern U.S. ParticipantsThe racially and socioeconomically diverse sample included 596 twin children (Mage = 8.41, SD = 0.69; 51.7% female; 66.3% white; 33.7% Hispanic; 170 monozygotic, 236 same-sex dizygotic, 188 opposite-sex dizygotic). MeasurementsPubertal development was assessed via parent report. Children wore actigraph watches for 7 nights (M = 6.81, SD = 0.67) to capture sleep duration, efficiency, midpoint, onset latency, and duration variability. ResultsIn contrast to extant literature with older youth, more advanced pubertal development was associated with longer sleep durations in Hispanic and white girls and higher sleep efficiency in white girls, though Hispanic girls demonstrated later sleep midpoints. Pubertal development was moderately heritable and there was a genetic influence on the covariance between puberty and sleep indicators. ConclusionsThis was the first study to examine the genetic and environmental influences on the covariation between puberty and sleep, and found genetic underpinnings between pubertal development and actigraphy-assessed sleep duration and efficiency, though sleep and puberty were almost entirely independent in twins at this age.

Effortful control and health among triads of mothers and twin children: An actor-partner interdependence modeling approach.

Associations between effortful control and physical and mental health were examined among triads of mothers and twin children by simultaneously modeling the effects of one's own effortful control on one's own health (actor effects) with the effects of the other two family members' effortful control on one's health (partner effects). Families (N = 761 individuals; 254 families) included mothers (Mage = 39.98, SD = 5.64) and their twin children (Mage = 8.58, SD = 0.57; 51% female; 54.7% non-Hispanic White, 28% Hispanic). Mothers completed online and in-person questionnaires, and mothers' and children's body composition indicators and dominant-handgrip strength were directly assessed during two home visits. Actor effects dominated in families with twin boys and mixed-sex twins, whereas partner effects were more apparent in families with twin girls. In addition, the effects of children's effortful control on mothers' health depended on the sex of the twins. Findings uncovered important family dynamics linking effortful control to health, including that associations may vary by sex match of children in the family. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Determinants of Under-Five Child Mortality in Arab Countries. Are the Effects Homogeneous Across Birth Order and Among Countries?

Abstract Under-five-child mortality remains a major challenge for governments in the Arab world to achieve Sustainable Development Goals. Thus, further studies are needed to analyze the determinants of child mortality. The Multiple Indicators Cluster Surveys (MICS) datasets of six Arab countries (Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Mauritania, Sudan, and Tunisia) have been used, which are consisting of 249.000 children nested within 54.644 mothers. The study was designed in a women-parity-covered one to six birth order. Binary multivariable logistic models were used to estimate the risk ratios of death by adjusting for child sex, birth outcome (twin vs. singleton), mother’s education level, maternal age, previous birth interval, place of residence (rural vs. urban), and the family wealth index. The findings revealed that the under-five child mortality rates were 87, 70,66,35,36, and 21 per 1000 live births in Sudan, Mauritania, Egypt, Iraq, Algeria, and Tunisia, respectively). First-born infants in these six countries have a higher risk of mortality during their five years of life. Second, third-and fourth-born infants were at a decreased risk of death compared to first-born infants in all countries; in contrast, fifth-and-sixth-born infants were at an increased risk in all countries except Sudan and Mauritania. Twin children have a higher risk of death than singletons in all countries and across all birth orders. Children of mothers with higher educational levels living in urban areas are at lower risk of death than their peers across all birth orders. Regarding policy implications, decision-makers can target three main axes: first, enhancing women’s educational levels; second, increasing birth intervals (birth spacing policies); and third, improving living standards and healthcare strategies, especially in rural areas to improve child and mother health.

Assessment of Dental Arch Parameters in Turkish Twins.

The aim of this study is to investigate the relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to variations in dental dimensions in a sample of Turkish twins, and to estimate heritability using dental casts. The study samples were selected from the twin children between 3-15 years old who referred for their first dental examination. Fifty nine monozygotic and one hundred and forty three dizygotic twin pairs were examined in the study. The alginate impression material used to create the plaster model of maxilla and mandible. Anterior arch width, posterior arch width, arch length and arch circumference were measured on models prepared from measurements taken for both maxilla and mandible with digital caliper. The similarities and differences of the measurements were compared between pairs of twins and zygocytes. Morever, the effects of bad oral habits, bruxism, a result of psychosocial factors on measurements were examined. Statistical analysis was performed using Paired T Test, Wilcoxon Test and Mann Whitney U test. A total of 404 dental models of 118 (29.2%) monozygotic and 286 (70.8%) dizygotic twins were evaluated. There was no statistical difference between sibling pairs in both monozygotic and dizygotic twins. The measurement similarity between twin siblings differed according to zygosity in all measurements (p<0.05). It has been observed that the finger sucking and mouth breathing affect the dental arch measurements (p<0.05). These results indicate that the differences in dental arch dimensions between monozygotic twin pairs are less than the difference between dizygotic twin pairs.

Differences in Stress and Anxiety Among Women With and Without Children in the Household During the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns have had a disproportionate impact on parents of children under 18, particularly women. Mandatory school closures and loss of childcare resulted in parents balancing work, teaching, and childcare needs. A number of studies have examined changes in mental health of parents, but to date no studies have compared the differences in stress and anxiety levels between women with and without children in the United States. Adult women from the Washington State Twin Registry (WSTR) (N = 1,014, pair N = 529) and mothers of twin children enrolled in the WSTR (N = 147) completed an online survey examining several health-related behaviors and outcomes and their self-reported changes due to COVID-19. We conducted two studies to examine the impact of children on stress and anxiety levels among women. In study 1, we assessed whether women living in households with children under the age of 18 have higher levels of stress and anxiety than those without children in their household. We found that perceived stress levels did not differ between women with and without children in the household, but anxiety levels were higher among women living with children than those without. In study 2, we assessed whether the correlation between children in the household and stress/anxiety is accounted for by non-random genetic and environmental selection effects, causal processes, or both using a sample of adult female twins. We found that the presence of children in the household was associated with higher levels of stress and anxiety. However, this association is confounded by genetic and shared environmental factors. Our findings highlight the need to provide supporting resources to women living with children in the household during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The effects of parenting styles and parental positivity on preschoolers’ self‐perception

AbstractSelf‐esteem has implications for a wide variety of psychological problems. This study sought to determine whether parenting practices at ages 3 and 4 years contributed to 5‐year‐old children's self‐perception, a precursor to later self‐esteem. Data came from a longitudinal study in which preschool twin or triplet children were tested within a month of their birthdays; complete data were available for 263 children tested at ages 4 and 5 years and for 211 children tested at ages 3 and 5 years. As part of testing at ages 3 and 4, children and parents engaged in a puzzle task for 10 min; their behaviors were coded by trained raters. Parenting variables of verbal warmth, positive affect, permissive discipline, and sensitivity were coded. At age 5, children's self‐perception was assessed using the Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence and Social Acceptance for Young Children. Results showed that parental positive affect and sensitivity at age 4 predicted increased maternal acceptance at age 5, and permissive discipline predicted decreased peer acceptance scores for girls, but not boys. Additionally, parental verbal warmth at age 3 predicted higher peer acceptance scores at age 5. Finally, boys who experienced increases in parent positive affect from ages 3 to 4 showed higher peer acceptance scores at age 5. This study provides evidence that parenting is an important factor in the development of preschool children's self‐perception.

The woman writer's body: Multiplicity, neoliberalism, and feminist resistance

AbstractWhat goes behind the scene of a woman writer's writing process? Beneath shiny finished writing products lies an arduous writing process often remain unseen to readers. The article makes visible two women writers' bodies and our embodied writing experiences through an intersectional feminist lens. Writer One is a Singapore‐born, ethnic Chinese, queer migrant woman academic residing in Australia with her long‐term partner. Writer Two is an England‐born, Australian‐British dual citizen, white heterosexual married mother of young twin children ready to kick start her academic career after her recent PhD conferment. Writer One with her fibromyalgic, traumatized, and othered bodies and Writer Two with her vulvodynia, mothering, and gendered bodies write themselves, their bodies and embodied writing experiences into existence in this article. Using autoethnographic accounts, they discuss how their multiple, chronically ill, and pained bodies influence their writing process and choice of writing topics. Specifically, they reveal how their bodies negotiate the tension between neoliberal demands imposed on their bodies and their feminist resistance efforts against constrictive forces in the knowledge production economy. Using this piece of writing as feminist resistance, they seek to reject dominant discourses, hold space, inscribe their own narratives, and call for collective feminist action with fellow women writers.

Supplemental Material for Effortful Control and Health Among Triads of Mothers and Twin Children: An Actor–Partner Interdependence Modeling Approach

Supplemental Material for Effortful Control and Health Among Triads of Mothers and Twin Children: An Actor–Partner Interdependence Modeling Approach

Epic Hand Washing

Epic Hand Washing

Machine Learning Study in Caries Markers in Oral Microbiota from Monozygotic Twin Children.

In recent years, the etiology of caries has evolved from a simplistic infectious perspective based on Streptococcus mutans and/or Lactobacillus activity, to a multifactorial disease involving a complex oral microbiota, the human genetic background and the environment. The aim of this work was to identify bacterial markers associated with early caries using massive 16S rDNA. To minimize the other factors, the composition of the oral microbiota of twins in which only one of them had caries was compared with their healthy sibling. Twenty-one monozygotic twin pairs without a previous diagnosis of caries were recruited in the context of their orthodontic treatment and divided into two categories: (1) caries group in which only one of the twins had caries; and (2) control group in which neither of the twins had caries. Each participant contributed a single oral lavage sample in which the bacterial composition was determined by 16S rDNA amplification and further high-throughput sequencing. Data analysis included statistical comparison of alpha and beta diversity, as well as differential taxa abundance between groups. Our results show that twins of the control group have a closer bacterial composition than those from the caries group. However, statistical differences were not detected and we were unable to find any particular bacterial marker by 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing that could be useful for prevention strategies. Although these results should be validated in a larger population, including children from other places or ethnicities, we conclude that the occurrence of caries is not related to the increase of any particular bacterial population.

143 The Shared and Unique Genetic Influences of Pubertal Development and Objective Sleep During Middle Childhood

Abstract Introduction More advanced pubertal development has negative impacts on sleep quality and quantity in adolescents (Foley et al., 2018). Pubertal development and sleep both have high genetic influences, while environmental factors are also evident (Breitenstein et al., 2020; Dick et al., 2001). To elucidate underlying relations between pubertal development and sleep, the present study examined the genetic and environmental influences on the covariation of these health processes using a twin study design. Methods This racially and socioeconomically diverse sample included 596 twin children (Mage=8.41, SD=.69; 51.7% female; 66.3% White; 33.7% Hispanic; 156 monozygotic, 217 same-sex dizygotic, and 179 opposite-sex dizygotic). Children wore wrist-based accelerometers (Motion Logger Micro Watch; Ambulatory Monitoring, Inc, Ardsley, NY USA) on their non-dominant wrist for 7 nights (M= 6.81, SD= .67) to measure their sleep (efficiency, duration). Primary caregivers completed Zygosity Questionnaire for Young Twins (Goldsmith, 1991), as well as the Pubertal Development Scale (Petersen et al., 1988) for each twin, and puberty composite scores for males and females were used (Coleman &amp; Coleman, 2002). Bivariate Cholesky decompositions were fit in OpenMX to estimate genetic and environmental influences on the covariance between pubertal development and sleep (Boker et al., 2011). The -2 log-likelihood chi-square test of fit and the Akaike’s Information Criterion were used to find the most parsimonious solution. Results 261 White (68.9%) and 135 Hispanic (77.1%) participants had initiated puberty. Pubertal development was positively correlated with sleep efficiency (r =.15) and sleep duration (r =.15). Pubertal development, sleep efficiency, and sleep duration were all heritable at 59%, 54%, and 73%, respectively. The AE-A-AE twin model was the best-fitting model for both bivariate models, with additive genetics accounting for 86% and 90% of the shared covariance between pubertal development and sleep efficiency and duration, respectively. Conclusion The genetic association between pubertal development and sleep suggests a third variable influence, and Wang and colleagues (2020) have identified genetic variants that partially explain the association. Future directions include longitudinal analyses across the pubertal transition as environmental demands increase. Support (if any) Supported by the US Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: R01 HD079520 to Kathryn Lemery-Chalfant and Leah Doane.

Sixth grade academic achievement among children conceived with IVF: a population-based study in Texas, USA

To compare academic achievement in reading and mathematics at the end of sixth grade and progress from third to sixth grade by children conceived with in vitro fertilization (IVF) to those conceived naturally. This was a retrospective population-based cohort study of IVF-conceived singleton and twin children who took the 3rd grade and 6th grade public school standardized reading and mathematics testing in Texas. There were 6623 children with reading scores in both the third and sixth grades and 6374 children with mathematics scores in both the third and sixth grades. Mean (± SE) scaled test scores for IVF and control singleton children for reading were 1544.6 ± 3.4 and 1527.7 ± 1.9, respectively, in third grade and 1701.2 ± 3.6 and 1681.0 ± 2.0, respectively, in sixth grade; for mathematics, the scores were 1564.4 ± 3.7 and 1548.9 ± 2.1, respectively, in third grade and 1774.0 ± 4.2 and 1752.0 ± 2.3, respectively, in sixth grade. In multivariate models, singleton IVF children scored significantly higher than control children in reading and mathematics, averaging 17.7 ± 4.0 points and 20.1 ± 4.1 points higher, respectively, in reading in third and sixth grades and 17.8 ± 4.4 points and 25.0 ± 4.8 points higher, respectively, in mathematics in third and sixth grades. Children conceived with IVF and aged 8-9 years and aged 10-12 years performed as well on third and sixth grade reading and mathematics assessments as their counterparts conceived naturally.

Effect of sex and dyad composition on speech and gesture development of singleton and twin children.

Children's early vocabulary shows sex differences - with boys having smaller vocabularies than age-comparable girls - a pattern that becomes evident in both singletons and twins. Twins also use fewer words than their singleton peers. However, we know relatively less about sex differences in early gesturing in singletons or twins, and also how singletons and twins might differ in their early gesture use. We examine the patterns of speech and gesture production of singleton and twin children, ages 0;10-to-3;4, during structured parent-child play. Boys and girls - singleton or twin - were similar in speech and gesture production, but singletons used a greater amount and diversity of speech and gestures than twins. There was no effect of twin dyad type (boy-boy, girl-girl, boy-girl) on either speech or gesture production. These results confirm earlier research showing close integration between gesture and speech in singletons in early language development, and further extend these patterns to twin children.