Twins News and Research

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Stanford researchers get scoop on baby poop!

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine are as interested in a baby's poop as doting parents are, and for good reason.

26 Jun 2007

Health of babies not affected by embryo screening

New research has shown that babies born after pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) are as healthy as those born after conventional IVF treatment.

18 Jun 2007

Surgery underway to separate twins joined at the head

Neurosurgeons in the U.S. have begun the first of many operations to separate 3-year-old twins who are joined at the head.

7 Jun 2007

College attendance and its effect on drinking behaviors in a longitudinal study of adolescents

New research suggests that college attendance exacerbates the inborn propensity of certain young adults to become heavy alcohol users.

28 May 2007

Smoking and depression

Based on a Finnish study, persistent smokers may have higher risk to become depressed in comparison to never smokers.

22 May 2007

Children who are hyperactive tend to do worse academically

Although the relationship between such behaviors as overactivity, impulsivity, and inattentiveness in children and poor achievement in math, reading, language, and other areas has been well documented, little is known about the reasons for this link.

18 May 2007

Youth at risk of overweight compared with healthy-weight youth appear to have increased cardiovascular risks

Key indicators of cardiovascular health, such as blood pressure and arterial stiffness, are headed in the wrong direction in "chunky" adolescents, researchers say.

11 May 2007

Men and women at risk for alcohol dependence are more likely to choose a mate who also is at risk

Alcoholism is more common among partners of alcoholics than among partners of non-alcoholics, but it isn't as common as it might be. The researchers found that in some cases, one spouse's excesses with alcohol actually could help protect the other from alcohol dependence.

4 May 2007

Chronic fatigue syndrome impairs sleep and homeostatic response

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) has been associated with altered amounts of slow wave sleep, which could reflect reduced electroencephalograph (EEG) activity and impaired sleep regulation.

2 May 2007

Spousal choices can influence alcohol dependence

Alcohol dependence (AD) is more common among partners of alcoholics than among partners of non-alcoholics.

24 Apr 2007

Twin studies identify genes that influence human health in unexpected ways

Daniel O'Connor, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Pharmacology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine has studied about 265 twin pairs over the past few years, which has led him to some surprising discoveries.

18 Apr 2007

Immune system disorder may be the cause of unexplained infertility

It's been a topic on Sex and the City and was rumored to be a problem for a popular sitcom star when she and her husband were trying to conceive.

18 Apr 2007

Behavior influenced by our genes

A new study in Journal of Personality shows that selfless and social behavior is not purely a product of environment, specifically religious environment.

7 Apr 2007

Weaker performance of siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder

Younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders do not perform as well on tests of social and communication development compared with siblings of children without developmental problems at ages as young as 12 months, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a theme issue on autism spectrum disorders.

4 Apr 2007

New type of chemistry promises less expensive drugs

With a newly discovered method of assembling organic molecules, a team of Princeton University chemists may have found a way to sidestep many of the expensive and hazardous barriers that stand in the way of drug development.

3 Apr 2007

Risks of being a second twin

A nine year study published on the British Medical Journal website concludes that being a second born twin confers a small increased risk of suffering fatal complications during birth.

4 Mar 2007

Genetic variations contribute to a person's risk for nicotine dependence

Americans are bombarded with antismoking messages, yet at least 65 million of us continue to light up. Genetic factors play an important role in this continuing addiction to cigarettes, suggest scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

18 Feb 2007

Twin study on the increased cardiometabolic risk in obesity

A unique monozygotic twin study by researchers from the Finnish Twin Cohort, Helsinki University Central Hospital, and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland found that obesity, already in its early stages and independent of genetic influences, is associated with deleterious alterations in the lipid metabolism known to facilitate atherogenesis, inflammation and insulin resistance.

15 Feb 2007

What's the best way to treat twin-twin transfusion syndrome?

It's one of the biggest controversies in fetal surgery and the cause of heated debate among surgeons and maternal-fetal medicine physicians around the world: What's the best way to treat twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), one of the most common conditions requiring fetal surgery and the leading cause of mortality in twins?

11 Feb 2007

Marital conflict and conduct problems in children

Children's conduct problems--skipping school, sneaking out of the house, lying to parents, shoplifting, or bullying other children--are a major source of concern for parents and teachers.

7 Feb 2007