title: Social differences in low birthweight and preterm deliveries in twins.
abstract: The relationship between low social class and low birthweight or preterm deliveries is well established in singletons but not in twins. We present a study using all twin deliveries registered in Belgium in 1983 and in Aberdeen between 1951 and 1983. No significant relationship was found between social class and low birthweight, very low birthweight or preterm deliveries in the Belgian sample. In Aberdeen, we found significantly higher rates of low birthweight twins in low social classes. This increase of low birthweight twins in low social classes occurred in Aberdeen during the period 1951-1968, but not in the more recent data.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Free University of Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buekens
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: MacGillivray
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dramaix
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Darquennes
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Derom
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thiery
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012923:Social Class; D014427:Twins