Monochorionic twin pregnancies
Conditions
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
The Dutch Heart Foundation
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: - MC twin pregnancies - Parents aged = 18 years, who are able to consent - Written informed consent from both parents to participate in this longitudinal study
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: - The presence of major anatomical abnormalities - Triplet pregnancies or higher order multiple pregnancies - Twin reversed arterial perfusion (TRAP) - MC twins with single or double fetal demise
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| 1. Percentage difference in DNA methylation in MSCs at birth within MC twin pairs in relation to measures of intra-uterine discordance: percentage difference in birthweight and percentage difference in placenta share. 2. Within-twin pair differences at follow-up in childhood (2, 5, 8 years) with respect to risk of CVD and NDI as explained by the DNA methylation differences at birth. Study parameters of CVD at follow-up: cardiac load reflected by left-ventricular mass, vascular stiffness reflected by aortic pulse-wave velocity | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| 1. Explore the persistence of epigenetic differences in peripheral tissues (buccal swabs) from birth to 2, 5 and 8 years follow-up. 2. Test the association of epigenetic changes in MSC cells with cellular metabolism. 3. Correlate within-pair differences in fetal cardiac growth and function and outcome at birth and at follow-up. | — |
Contacts
Public ContactBas Heijmans
Leiden University Medical Center
Outcome results
None listed