Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T12:09:42.480Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Cyclic Variations of Twin Births at Isle-aux-Coudres: A Case/Control Approach

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

P. Philippe
P. Philippe*
Affiliation:
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Canada
*
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, Pav. Marguerite d'Youville, Montreal H3C 3J7, QC, Canada

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Twins and singletons were matched for several confounding factors. The monthly distribution of twin births and that of singleton births were compared with a uniform allocation of births over the year. Opposite seasonal variations emerged that were confirmed by a case/control comparison. Twins occurred more often in winter and early spring while singletons proved to be relatively few; singleton peaked in the fall season when the risk of a twin birth was low. These trends held across maternal age at birth and the time period of birth. Results suggest that the conception of a twin pair is higest in spring and early summer and lowest in winter. The role of sunlight in the twinning liability is discussed along with the role of sexual intercourse. That twin-prone mothers are usually more fecund in spring and early summer is a distinct possibility.

Keywords

Seasonal variationTwin birthsSexual intercourse
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 36 , Issue 3 , July 1987 , pp. 381 - 388
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1987

References

REFERENCES

1.Edwards, JH (1961): The recognition of cyclic trends. Ann Hum Genet 25: 83–85.Google Scholar
2.Haldane, JBS (1956): The estimation and significance of the logarithm of a ratio of frequencies. Ann Eugen 2: 309–311.Google Scholar
3.Imaizumi, Y, Asaka, A, Inouye, E (1980): Analysis of multiple births in Japan. V. Seasonal and social class variations in twin births. Jpn J Hum Genet 25: 299–307.Google Scholar
4.James, WH (1976): Seasonality in twin births. Ann Hum Biol 3: 193–195.Google Scholar
5.Parkes, AS (1974): Sexuality and reproduction. Persp Biol Med 17: 399–410.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Philippe, P (1981): Twinning and the changing pattern of breast-feending: a possible relationship in a small rural population. Soc Biol 28: 167–175.Google Scholar
7.Philippe, P (1985): Genetic epidemiology of twinning: a population-based study. Am J Med Genet 20: 97–105.Google Scholar
8.Philippe, P (1986): Termination of menstrual life in mothers of twins. Hum Biol 58: 239–250.Google Scholar
9.Richter, J, Miura, T, Nakamura, I, Nonaka, K (1984): Twinning rates and seasonal changes in Gorlitz, Germany from 1611 to 1860. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 33: 121–124.Google Scholar
10.Roger, GH (1977): A significance test for cyclic trends in incidence data. Biometrika 64: 152–155.CrossRefGoogle Scholar