For Twinlife we would like to monitor the health and development of your children. Twins who share a placenta already receive a lot of medical care. For Twinlife, we ask you to participate in a few extra investigations. 

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Pregnancy 

 

During your pregnancy an ultrasound will be performed every two weeks. This is necessary to monitor the growth of your children and for early detection of  problems. For Twinlife, we ​​want to perform extra measurements of the heart once every four weeks. As a result, the ultrasound examination takes approximately 10 minutes longer than usual. Also, we ask you to complete two questionnaires about yourself as a future mother and father.

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Birth

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Your children are born. We keep a piece of umbilical cord and a tube of umbilical cord blood to investigate the regulation of the DNA. We also look at the structure of the placenta. You and your newborn children will not notice any of this.

In the first few days after birth, we will come by to make an ultrasound of your children's heart and brain. We will take a cheek swab too, to save for further DNA testing.

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Your children are 6 months old

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We will send you questionnaires by mail about the health and development of your children in the first six months.

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Your children are 2, 5, or 8 years old

At the age of 2, 5, and 8 years we will invite you for an outpatient examination of your children in the LUMC. This is part of standard care for twins who were born prematurely, too small at birth, and/or had an operation in the womb. For Twinlife, all other twins will be invited to the LUMC as well.

During the visit we measure your children's height, weight, and blood pressure. We perform an ultrasound of the heart and blood vessels in the neck. We also take another cheek swab. Lastly, we examine the mental and motor development of your children. When your children are 5 and 8 years old, we will do an intelligence test as well. Of course, you will receive the results of these health examinations.