Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-8mjnm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T10:39:05.511Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Analysis of Multiple Birth Rates in Japan. II. Secular Trend and Effect of Birth Order, Maternal Age, and Gestational Age in Stillbirth Rate of Twins

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2014

Yoko Imaizumi
Affiliation:
Institute of Population Problems, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tokyo
Akio Asaka
Affiliation:
Institute of Brain Research, University of Tokyo School of Medicine
Eiji Inouye
Affiliation:
Institute of Brain Research, University of Tokyo School of Medicine

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.

Stillbirth rates of MZ and DZ twins in Japan gradually decreased during the period 1960–1967 and in 1974. The stillbirth rates of MZ and DZ twins were 0.270 and 0.224 in 1960, respectively, whereas the corresponding figures in 1974 were 0.135 and 0.099. The stillbirth rate was higher in MZ than DZ twins, in males than females, and in the second- than in the first-born. In both zygosities, the rates were higher in the first birth order than in the second, and then increased with birth order except in the sixth birth or more for MZ twins and for DZ twins born to mothers aged 35–39 years. The shorter the gestational age, the higher the stillbirth rate in both MZ and DZ twins, as expected. Mean gestational age was slightly shorter in MZ than in DZ twins. The decrease of the stillbirth rates can be explained partly by the reduction of twins with higher birth order, where high stillbirth rates of MZ and DZ twins are seen, and the reduction of older mothers.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The International Society for Twin Studies 1980

References

REFERENCES

1.Barr, A, Stevenson, AC (1961): Stillbirths and infant mortality in twins. Ann Hum Genet 25:131140.Google Scholar
2.Eriksson, AW, Eskola, M, Fellman, J, Forsius, H (1973): The value of genealogical data in population studies in Sweden and Finland. In Morton, NE (ed): “Genetic Structure of Populations.” Honolulu: University of Hawaii, pp 102118.Google ScholarPubMed
3.Fraccaro, M (1957): A contribution to the study of birth weight based on an Italian sample twin data. Ann Hum Genet 21:224236.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Imaizumi, Y, Inouye, E (1979): Analysis of multiple birth rates in Japan. I. Secular trend, maternal age effect, and geographical variation in twinning rates. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 28:107124.Google Scholar
5.Japan, Ministry of Health and Welfare. Annual, 1951–1968 and 1974: Vital Statistics, Health and Welfare Statistics and Information Department, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tokyo.Google Scholar
6.Japan, Ministry of Health and Welfare. (1977): Survey on Socio-Economic Aspects of Vital Events-Plural Births, 1975. Health and Welfare Statistics and Information Department, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Tokyo.Google Scholar
7.Karn, MN (1952): Birth weight and length of gestation of twins, together with maternal age, parity and survival rate. Ann Eugen 16:365377.Google Scholar
8.Karn, MN (1953): Twin data: A further study of birth weight, gestation time, maternal age, order of birth, and survival. Ann Eugen 17:233248.Google Scholar
9.Karn, MN (1953): Data of twin births occurring in 2 English metropolitan hospitals. Acta Genet Med Gemellol 2:152163.Google Scholar
10.Weinberg, W (1901): Beitrage zur Physiologie und Pathologie der Mehrlingsgeburten beim Menschen. Archiv fuer die gesamte Physiologie des Menschen und der Tiere 88:346430.Google Scholar
11.Yerushalmy, J, Sheerar, SE (1940): Studies on twins. II. On the early mortality of like-sexed and unlike-sexed twins. Hum Biol 12:247263.Google Scholar