Back to Search
Start Over
Conjoined twins: a worldwide collaborative epidemiological study of the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research.
- Source :
-
American journal of medical genetics. Part C, Seminars in medical genetics [Am J Med Genet C Semin Med Genet] 2011 Nov 15; Vol. 157C (4), pp. 274-87. Date of Electronic Publication: 2011 Oct 14. - Publication Year :
- 2011
-
Abstract
- Conjoined twins (CT) are a very rare developmental accident of uncertain etiology. Prevalence has been previously estimated to be 1 in 50,000 to 1 in 100,000 births. The process by which monozygotic twins do not fully separate but form CT is not well understood. The purpose of the present study was to analyze diverse epidemiological aspects of CT, including the different variables listed in the Introduction Section of this issue of the Journal. The study was made possible using the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research (ICBDSR) structure. This multicenter worldwide research includes the largest sample of CT ever studied. A total of 383 carefully reviewed sets of CT obtained from 26,138,837 births reported by 21 Clearinghouse Surveillance Programs (SP) were included in the analysis. Total prevalence was 1.47 per 100,000 births (95% CI: 1.32-1.62). Salient findings including an evident variation in prevalence among SPs: a marked variation in the type of pregnancy outcome, a similarity in the proportion of CT types among programs: a significant female predominance in CT: particularly of the thoracopagus type and a significant male predominance in parapagus and parasitic types: significant differences in prevalence by ethnicity and an apparent increasing prevalence trend in South American countries. No genetic, environmental or demographic significant associated factors were identified. Further work in epidemiology and molecular research is necessary to understand the etiology and pathogenesis involved in the development of this fascinating phenomenon of nature.<br /> (Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)
- Subjects :
- Americas epidemiology
Australia epidemiology
Biomedical Research trends
China epidemiology
Congenital Abnormalities pathology
Diseases in Twins pathology
Epidemiologic Studies
Europe epidemiology
Female
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Male
Pregnancy
Prevalence
Registries
Sex Ratio
Congenital Abnormalities epidemiology
Diseases in Twins epidemiology
International Cooperation
Population Surveillance methods
Twins, Conjoined pathology
Twins, Monozygotic
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1552-4876
- Volume :
- 157C
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- American journal of medical genetics. Part C, Seminars in medical genetics
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 22002822
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.c.30321