Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-qxdb6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T04:57:14.966Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Menstrual characteristics of mothers of twins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Birgitte Bønnelykke
Birgitte Bønnelykke
Affiliation:
Cytogenetic Laboratory, Aarhus Psychiatric Hospital, Risskov, Denmark
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The menarcheal age and frequency of menstrual disorders in mothers of dizygotic (DZ) and monozygotic (MZ) twins born in Denmark in 1984 or 1985 were compared with a control sample of mothers of singleton infants born in the same period. Compared to control mothers, mothers of DZ twins had a lower menarcheal age and a lower frequency of menstrual irregularities—menstrual cycles exceeding 5 weeks duration, varying length of menstrual cycles and episodes of menostasia. Mothers of MZ twins had a higher frequency of intermenstrual bleeding compared to mothers of singletons. All results were adjusted for maternal age and parity. The findings are relevant to the interpretation of aetiological factors leading to twin births and support the hypothesis of differences in sex hormone activity of the mothers of DZ twins in comparison with other women.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 21 , Issue 3 , July 1989 , pp. 329 - 334
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bishop, Y. M. M., Feinberg, S. E. & Holland, P. W. (1975) Discrete Multivariate Analysis: Theory and Practice. MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.Google Scholar
Bulmer, M. G. (1970) The Biology of Twinning in Man. Clarendon Press, Oxford.Google Scholar
Elwood, J. M. (1973) Changes in the twinning rate in Canada 1926–70. Br. J.prev. soc. Med. 27, 236.Google ScholarPubMed
James, W. H. (1972) Secular changes in rates of multiple births in the United States. J. biosoc. Sci. 4, 427.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
James, W. H. (1979) Maternal age, dizygotic twinning rates and age at menopause. Ann. hum. Biol. 6, 481.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jeanneret, O. & MagMahon, B. (1962) Secular changes in rates of multiple births in the United States. Am. J. hum. Genet. 14, 410.Google ScholarPubMed
Kleinbaum, D. G., Kupper, L. L. & Morgenstern, H. (1982) Epidemiologic Research. Van Nostrand-Reinhold, New York.Google Scholar
Mantel, N. & Haenszel, W. (1959) Statistical aspects of the analysis of data from retrospective studies of disease. J. natn. Cancer Inst. 22, 719.Google ScholarPubMed
Nielsen, J., Homma, A., Isaksen, B. & Bertelsen, A. (1978) Incidence of twin births in Denmark from 1911 to 1974. Acta Genet, med. Gemell. 27, 45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nylander, W. H. (1973) Serum levels of gonadotrophins in relation to multiple births in Nigeria.J. Obstet. Gynaec. Br. Commonw. 80, 651.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rachootin, P. & Olsen, J. (1980) Secular changes in the twinning rate in Denmark 1931 to 1977. Scand. J. Soc. Med. 8, 89.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Skerlj, B. (1939) Menarche und Umwelt. Z. Menschl. Vererbs-Konstit. Lehre, 23, 299.Google Scholar
Wyshak, G. (1978) Menopause in mothers of multiple births and mothers of singletons only. Social Biol. 25, 25.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wyshak, G. (1981) Reproductive and menstrual characteristics of mothers of multiple births and mothers of singletons only: a discriminant analysis. Twin Res. 3, 95.Google Scholar
Wyshak, G. & White, C. (1965) Genealogical study of human twinning. Am. J. publ. Hlth, 55, 1586.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed