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Heavier Twin May Have More Behavior Problems, Study Finds
Filed under: In The News, Twins, Triplets, Multiples, Behavior, Research Reveals: Babies, Behavior: Toddlers & Preschoolers
Same appearance, different experiences. Credit: Getty Images
Twins who were at least 20 percent heavier than their sibling at birth were more likely to have conduct problems by the time they were 3 or 4 years old, an article published in the May issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, says. That finding was more true of fraternal twins than of identical twins.
Researchers at Hadassah Hebrew University Hospital in Jerusalem identified 112 families with twins born at unequal weights in 2004 and 2005. They gave the mothers a widely used screening questionnaire in which the mother rated the applicability of statements to her child, including things such as "often fights with other children or bullies them," "often lies and cheats," and items referring to stealing, temper tantrums and defiance.
According to their mothers, the heavier twin had more conduct problems in 41 percent of twin pairs; that was true of the lighter twin in only 21 percent of twin pairs.
The authors of the study speculate that larger twins may become more aggressive because they are able to physically dominate their smaller sibling. Furthermore, smaller twins are often hospitalized for longer, and that may lead mothers to "invest more time, effort and emotional resources in the weaker, smaller twin, possibly increasing the larger twin's likelihood for developing conduct problems," the article says.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
5-04-2010 @ 10:17AM
youngmomof5 said...i am a mom of twins i have noticed that my larger twin is more demanding than my smaller twin.
this article has made me weary because i have an older child that is not a twin but she exhibits most of the behavior mentioned above .
so i am now worried that ill have another child of this mannerism i really hope i can prove this info wrong in the later years.
Reply
5-13-2010 @ 5:47PM
courtney said...I'm a mom of 13 month old twins and, so far, couldn't find this article more false! My twins were at very unequal weights (Jonah was 7-3, and Fox was 5-11), and Jonah is the more laid back, go with the flow twin. He is very independant in every aspect, where as Fox needs constant attention. When he was younger, if you weren't looking at him or he couldn't see you, he would loose it!! Where Jonah goes to bed on his own, easily at 7:30 or 8pm, Fox is still ready to party at 11pm!
Reply
5-24-2010 @ 4:32PM
Tmom said...My fraternal boys are very different sizes and personalities. However, The larger boy (taller and heavier), is the sweeter and more loving of the two.
5-25-2010 @ 1:01PM
widgertribe said...I believe this could be true but i believe it is more because of the natural way that people treat twins, especially monozygotic twins. They are constantly compared. Every mole, weight fluctuation, scar or birthmark is pointed out. Being told "Your the fat twin!" even when your not fat is deffinately a Debbie Downer. My twins heads are shaped a little different from each other. Some child started calling them potatoe head and tomato head...it was horrible! they are 12 and have every flaw on thier bodies pointed out to them. Things on that wouldn't even be noticed on singletons.
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6-04-2010 @ 1:23PM
Deb said...I have 15 year old polar body (50% the same) twin girls. I've always promoted individuality by not dressing them the same, however they've always been competitive; but in the past year that has intensified! They hate being twins because others do compare them. One has always been heavier (tom boy), while the other has remained thinner (girly-girl). The heavier twin has always been more dominant and physically agressive, while the lighter twin is more verbally agressive.
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