Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T16:18:10.359Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

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

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.

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

References

REFERENCES

1.Abe, K, Amatomi, M, Kajiyama, S (1970): Genetical and developmental aspect of susceptibility to motion sickness and frost-bite. Hum Hered 20:507516.Google Scholar
2.Abe, K (1978): Parent-child transmission of some childhood behaviour characteristics. Acta paedopsychiatr 44:916.Google ScholarPubMed
3.Bakwin, H (1971): Enuresis in twins. Am J Dis Child 121:222225.Google Scholar
4.Bakwin, H (1971): Persistent finger-sucking in twins. Dev Med Child Neurol 13:308309.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Bakwin, H (1971): Car-sickness in twins. Dev Med Child Neurol 13:310312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6.Cohen, DJ, Dibble, E, Graw, JM (1977): Fathers' and mothers' perceptions of children's personality. Arch Gen Psychiatry 34:480487.Google Scholar
7.Freedman, D (1965): Hereditary control of early social behaviour. In Foss, BM (ed): Determinant of Infant Behaviour. London: Methuen, p 149159.Google Scholar
8.Imaizumi, Y, Inouye, E (1979): Analysis of multiple birth rates in Japan. 1. Secular trend, maternal age effect, and geographical variation in twinning rates. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 28:107124.Google ScholarPubMed
9.Loehlin, JC, Nichols, RC (1976): Heredity, Environment and Personality: A Study of 850 Twins. Austin: University of Texas Press.Google Scholar
10.Nichols, R, Bilbro, WC Jr (1966): The diagnosis of twin zygosity. Acta Genet 16:265275.Google ScholarPubMed
11.Rose, RJ, Miller, JZ, Pogue-Geile, MF, Cardwell, GF (1981): Twin-family studies of common fears and phobias. In Gedda, L, Parisi, P, Nance, WE (eds): Twin Research 3: Part B. Intelligence, Personality, and Development. New York: Alan R Liss.Google Scholar
12.Rose, RJ, Ditto, WB (1983): A developmental genetic analysis of common fears from early adolescence to early adulthood. Child Dev 54:361368.Google Scholar
13.Scarr, S (1966): Genetic factors in activity motivation. Child Dev 37:663673.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Slater, E (1963): Diagnosis of zygosity by finger prints. Acta Psychiatr Scand 39:7884.Google Scholar
15.Torgersen, AM, Kringlen, E (1978): Genetic aspects of temperamental differences in twins. J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 17:433444.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Torgersen, AM (1981): Genetic aspects of temperamental development: A follow-up study of twins from infancy to six years of age. In Gedda, L, Parisi, P, Nance, WE (eds): Twin Research 3: Part B. Intelligence, Personality and Development. New York: Alan R Liss.Google Scholar
17.Torgersen, S (1979): The nature and origin of common phobic fears. Br J Psychiatry 134:343351.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Young, JPR, Fenton, GW, Lader, MH (1971): The inheritance of neurotic traits: A twin study of the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire. Br J Psychiatry 119:393398.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed