Four-dimensional sonographic assessment of inter-twin contact late in the first trimester.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the total number of inter-twin contacts between monochorionic diamniotic (MD) and dichorionic diamniotic (DD) twins using four-dimensional (4D) sonography late in the first trimester of pregnancy.


METHODS
Six MD and 8 DD pregnancies were studied for 30 minutes with 4D sonography at 10-11 and 12-13 weeks of gestation. A total of 10 types of inter-twin contact was evaluated.


RESULTS
There was a significant difference in the total number of all contacts between MD and DD twins at the 10-11 weeks of gestation (P<0.05). There was also a significant difference in the total number of contacts between 10-11 and 12-13 weeks of gestation in DD twins (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Four-dimensional sonography provides a means of evaluating inter-twin contact in the first trimester of pregnancy and could be an accurate and reliable tool in studies of inter-twin behavior.
Sasaki
Mutsuko
M
Department of Perinatology and Gynecology, Kagawa University School of Medicine, Kagawa, Japan.
Yanagihara
Toshihiro
T
Naitoh
Naoko
N
Hata
Toshiyuki
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic / Q000523:psychology*; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D055815:Young Adult