Korean J Perinatol.  2015 Sep;26(3):229-236. 10.14734/kjp.2015.26.3.229.

The Discordance of Intra-twin Birth Weight by Infantile Gender and Birth Order in Korea; 2008-2013

• Park SH
• Shin JJ
• Kim H
• Lim DO

• KMID: 2281227
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.14734/kjp.2015.26.3.229

Abstract

PURPOSE
To investigate the incidence of intra-twin birth weight discordance and its association with infantile gender and birth order.
METHODS
We used the data of birth from 2008 to 2013 of Korea Statistics (38,140 pairs of twins). Adjusted logistic regression analyses were performed to describe the birth weight discordance (> or =25%) according to infantile gender and birth order (twin A: 1st, twin B: 2nd). Birth weight discordance was calculated as 100 x (birth weight difference/birth weight of the heavier twin).
RESULTS
Twin A (mean 2.431 kg) was heavier than twin B (mean 2.359 kg), and the weight difference was 0.281 kg on average. Overall incidence of birth weight discordance was 8.3 percent. The incidence of discordance was 8.8 percent among unlike-sexed pairs and 8.0 percent among like-sexed pairs. Twins with birth weight A> or =B (10.2 percent) showed higher incidence of discordance than twins with birth weight A or =B) as compared to like-sexed twins (female-female) with birth weight (ACONCLUSION
Birth weight discordance was associated with unlike-sexed twin pairs and difference of inter-twin birth weight by birth order. However, close attention should be paid to the discordance of twin body weight to reduce the risk of adverse outcome.

Keyword

Twin birth; Birth weight discordance; Deciles

MeSH Terms

Birth Order*
Birth Weight*
Body Weight
Humans
Incidence
Korea*
Logistic Models
Odds Ratio
Parturition*
Twins

Reference

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