Birthweight Differences in Adolescent Monozygotic Twins Influence Androgens, Psychological Morbidity, and Health-Related Quality of Life-Reference-Cited by-同舟云学术

Birthweight Differences in Adolescent Monozygotic Twins Influence Androgens, Psychological Morbidity, and Health-Related Quality of Life

Published:2021-02-10 Issue: Volume: Page:1-9
ISSN:1663-2818
Container-title:Hormone Research in Paediatrics
language:en
Short-container-title:Horm Res Paediatr

Author:

Schmitz Lioba,Schulte Sandra^ORCID,Stoffel-Wagner Birgit,Bartmann Peter,Plamper Michaela,Schreiner Felix,Woelfle Joachim,Gohlke Bettina

Abstract

Background: Adverse prenatal conditions can exert a long-lasting impact in later life. Patients and Methods: Thirty-eight post-pubertal monozygotic twin pairs (16 female pairs) with divergent birthweight (bw) due to twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome were examined at a median of 15.1 years. Auxological and endocrine parameters were measured. To evaluate effects of intra-twin bw and hormone differences on mental health, adolescents and their parents completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), identifying psychological problems. Twins answered the questionnaire on health-related quality of life (HrQoL, KIDSCREEN-52). Results: Parents attributed a higher number of psychological challenges to the formerly smaller twins, for example, total difficulties (8.8 vs. 6.5, p = 0.009). Differences in bw were associated with differences in parental evaluation of problems, for example, peer relationship problems (r = −0.57 and p = 0.0001). In contrast, bw differences did not affect subjects’ self-assessment of psychological factors but on physical well-being (r = 0.42, p = 0.017). The formerly smaller discordant twins showed significantly lower HrQoL regarding psychological well-being (24.9 vs. 26.6, T1,15 = −2.2, and p = 0.043) and moods and emotions (29.8 vs. 32.0, T1,15 = −2.3, p = 0.039). Higher concentrations of androstenedione were linked to greater psychological well-being (r = 0.39 and p = 0.036) in all twin pairs. Conclusion: Our results show that the prenatal environment leading to bw differences exerts a long-lasting impact on diverging parental evaluation of mental health. Formerly smaller discordant twins showed significantly lower HrQoL regarding psychological well-being and moods and emotions. Higher androstenedione concentrations were linked to greater psychological well-being.

Publisher

S. Karger AG

Subject

Endocrinology,Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health

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