Maternal characteristics of women having twin pregnancies

Abstract

Summary: A comparison was made between 1308 mothers delivered of twins in Aberdeen between 1950 and 1969 and mothers of singleton infants. There was a greater number of tall women amongst mothers of twins. This was more marked in primigravidae than in multiparae. The rate of twinning was less in thin women than in those who were obese or of normal build. The social class of the husband did not appear to influence the incidence of twins. The rate of weight gain in twin pregnancies, even in early pregnancy, was high compared with the rate in singleton pregnancies. The more frequent occurrence of twinning in heavier, taller women, suggests that nutrition might be responsible but this is not borne out by the findings about social class.