The value of twins for health and medical research: a third of a century of progress

In 1984, Hrubec and Robinette published what was arguably the first review of the role of twins in medical research. The authors acknowledged a growing distinction between two categories of twin studies: Those aimed at assessing genetic contributions to disease and those aimed at assessing environmental contributions while controlling for genetic variation. They concluded with a brief section on recently founded twin registries that had begun to provide unprecedented access to twins for medical research. Here we offer an overview of the twin research that, in our estimation, best represents the field has progress since 1984. We start by summarizing what we know about twinning. We then focus on the value of twin study designs to differentiate between genetic and environmental influences on health and on emerging applications of twins in multiple areas of medical research. We finish by describing how twin registries and networks are accelerating twin research worldwide

Maternal dietary intake in twin pregnancies: does it diminish towards term?

Copyright © Australian Academic Press 2006 All Rights Reserved.We tested the hypothesis that energy intake among women with twin pregnancies decreases in late gestation, as the uterus enlarges and they become increasingly uncomfortable. We asked women to recall dietary intake for the previous 24 hours, every 2 weeks from around 29 weeks of gestation, using a photographic atlas and other strategies to estimate portion size. Eighty women provided data at around 29, 31, 33 and 35 weeks of gestation. We calculated total energy intake, and energy intake from carbohydrate, fat and protein. Data were log transformed to reduce skewness. Using mixed effects linear regression models, we found minimal evidence that total energy intake changed over this time period, either before or after adjustment for potential confounding factors (95% confidence interval for relative change per week: −1.4%, 0.6%). There was weak evidence of a small decline in carbohydrate intake over time, both before and after controlling for energy intake. We cannot exclude change in energy intake or diet composition before 29 weeks or after 35 weeks of twin gestation.Ruth Morley, Mark P. Umstad, Jodie Bond, Vivienne M. Moore, Julie A. Owens, Terence Dwyer and John B. Carli

The urologist's role in multidisciplinary management of placenta percreta

To evaluate urological interventions in patients with placental adhesive disorders in our collaborative experience at a tertiary referral centre.status: publishe