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Behavioural Genetics of Early Childhood: Fears, Restlessness, Motion Sickness and Enuresis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

K. Abe*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu
N. Oda
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu
H. Hatta
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Osaka City University Medical School, Japan
*
Department of Psychiatry, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Iseigaoka, Yahata-Nishiku, 807, Japan

Abstract

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Seventy-nine pairs of same-sex twins were examined at the age of three years at a municipal clinic and their mothers were interviewed to assess the twins' current and past behaviours. The zygosity was determined after the interview by fingerprints and/or bloodtyping in the majority of cases. The following significant differences in concordance between monozygotic and dizygotic twins were found: 1) fear of strangers during observation at the clinic; 2) marked fear of strangers in the first year of life; 3) whether or not the child was startled by sudden noises during infancy; 4) whether or not the child was able to sleep alone at three years without a parent sitting nearby; 5) susceptibility to motion sickness; 6) nocturnal enuresis; 7) short attention span or restlessness during the test.

Type
Genetics of Psychopathology
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1984

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