Bone Ultrasound Velocity of Appropriately Grown for Gestational Age Concordant Twins

In neonates, quantitative ultrasound has been shown to be predictive of bone breakability and an index of biophysical property of bone. There are no data on bone speed of sound (SOS) in appropriate for gestational age (AGA) twins. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that AGA twins who had normal intrauterine growth have bone SOS similar to that of AGA singletons. We measured tibial midshaft bone SOS within the first 96 hours of life in 25 pairs of AGA twins, 27 to 40 weeks gestation, and compared them with our data of 73 singletons. There were no significant differences in bone SOS between twin and singleton infants in any of the parameters studied. We found no significant difference in bone SOS between twins of the same pair. AGA twins have bone SOS very similar to that of AGA singletons. We suggest that intrauterine weight sparing occurs also in terms of biophysical properties of bone.

Ultrasound velocity - twin - concordance

REFERENCES

• 1 Mimouni F, Tsang R C. Bone mineralization in infants: the contribution of photon absorptiometry. In: Stern L Feeding the Sick Infant. New York; Vevey/Raven Press 1987: 75-100
• 2 Petersen S, Gotfredsen A, Knudsen F U. Total body bone mineral in light-for-gestational-age infants and appropriate-for-gestational-age infants.  Acta Paediatr Scand. 1989;  78 347-350
• 3 Braillon P M, Salle B L, Brunet J, Glorieux F H, Delmas P D, Meunier P J. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry measurement of bone mineral content in newborns: validation of the technique.  Pediatr Res. 1992;  32 77-80
• 4 Wright L L, Glade M J, Gopal J. The use of transmission ultrasonics to assess bone status in the human newborn.  Pediatr Res. 1987;  22 541-544
• 5 Gonnelli S, Cepollaro C. The use of ultrasound in the assessment of bone status.  J Endocrinol Invest. 2002;  25 389-397
• 6 Guglielmi G, Gluer C C, Majumdar S, Blunt B A, Genant H K. Current methods and advances in bone densitometry.  Eur Radiol. 1995;  5 129-139
• 7 Eliakim A, Nemet D, Friedland O, Dolfin T, Regev R H. Spontaneous activity in premature infants affects bone strength.  J Perinatol. 2002;  22 650-652
• 8 Littner Y, Mandel D, Mimouni F B, Dollberg S. Bone ultrasound velocity curves of newly born term and preterm infants.  J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab. 2003;  16 43-47
• 9 Lubchenco L O, Hansman C, Dressler M, Boyd E. Intrauterine growth as estimated from live-born birth weight data at 24 to 42 weeks gestation.  Pediatrics. 1963;  32 793-799
• 10 Ballard J L, Novak K K, Driver M. A simplified score for assessment of fetal maturation of newly born infants.  J Pediatr. 1979;  95 769-774
• 11 Houlton M C, Marivate M, Philpott R H. The prediction of fetal growth retardation in twin pregnancy.  Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1981;  88 264-273
• 12 Chitkara U, Berkowitz R L. Multiple gestations. In: Gabbe SG, Niebyl JR, Simpson JL Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies. New York; Churchill Livingstone 2002: 827-861
• 13 Buekens P, Wilcox A. Why do small twins have a lower mortality rate than small singletons?.  Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1993;  168 937-941
• 14 Rodis J F, Arky L, Egan J F, Borgida A F, Leo M V, Campbell W A. Comprehensive fetal ultrasonographic growth measurements in triplet gestations.  Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1999;  181 1128-1132
• 15 Arbuckle T E, Wilkins R, Sherman G J. Birthweight percentiles by gestational age in Canada.  Obstet Gynecol. 1993;  81 39-48
• 16 Cunnigham FG, Gant NF, Leveno KJ, Gilstrap LC III, Hauth JC, Wenstrom KD Williams Obstetrics. 21st ed. New York; McGraw-Hill 2001: 779
• 17 Koo B, Walters J, Hockman E, Koo W. Body composition of newborn twins: intrapair differences.  J Am Coll Nutr. 2002;  21 245-249