Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T12:39:20.246Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The End of Reproductive Life in Mothers of Twins: Epidemiologic Analysis of a Large Data Base

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.

A case-control study was conducted on the termination of menstrual life on mothers of twins. It involves a much larger data base and finer analyses, and makes use of the same methodology of a previous study. The time interval between the twin and the last confinement proved to be shorter in twin-bearing mothers than in a matched set of controls with singletons only after blocking of the effect of birth order, and despite the similarity of maternal age at delivery and confinements numbers. Mothers of like-sex twins only appeared to terminate reproductive life earlier than controls. The separate study of maternal age at twin confinement shows that the earlier the twin birth the shorter the menstrual life thereafter. Both like-sex twin births and early maternal age at delivery of a twin pair have the same shortening effect on subsequent menstrual life without clear evidence of additivity of effects as if both occurrences were alternatives with similar biological effects. Comparison of the results of the current study with those of our earlier analysis shows consistency on above results. However, the current study could not reproduce previous results on the role of unlike-sex twins or late maternal age at delivery on time to last confinement; yet, they cannot be discarded. It is suggested that increased power of interaction analyses and tighter matching of controls with respect to sex might improve the conclusions of subsequent studies.

Keywords

TwinningMenopauseFertilityHistorical demography
Type
Research Article
Information
Acta geneticae medicae et gemellologiae: twin research , Volume 37 , Issue 3-4 , October 1988 , pp. 249 - 262
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1988

References

REFERENCES

1. Bulmer, MG (1970): The Biology of Twinning in Man. Oxford: Clarendon Press.Google Scholar
2. Czeizel, A, Acsadi, G (1971): Demographic characteristics of multiple births in Hungary. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 20: 301–313.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Emery, AEH (1976): Methodology in Medicai Genetics. New York: Churchill Livingstone.Google Scholar
4. Haldane, JBS (1956): The estimation and significance of the logarithm of a ratio of frequencies. Ann Eugen 2: 309–311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Legare, J (1981): Le programme de recherche en demographie historique de l'Universite de Montreal: fondements, methodes et resultats. Canad Stud 10: 149–182.Google Scholar
6. Philippe, P (1981): Twinning and the changing pattern of breast-feeding: 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 19: 97–105.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8. Philippe, P (1986): Termination of menstrual life in mothers of twins. Hum Biol 58: 239–250.Google ScholarPubMed
9. Philippe, P: Conceptive delays in mothers of twins and mothers of singletons: a demographic epidemiologie approach. Manuscript submitted for publication.Google Scholar
10. Scherrer, B (1984): Biostatistique. Chicoutimi (QC): Editions Gaetan Morin.Google Scholar
11. Schlesselman, JJ (1982): Case-Control Studies. Design, Conduct, Analysis. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
12. Thompson, WD (1987): Statistical criteria in the interpretation of epidemiologic data. Am J Publ Hlth 77: 191–194.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed