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Twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome: a model for the fetal origins of adult health
Author(s) -
Chescheir Nancy C.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
paediatric and perinatal epidemiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.667
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3016
pISSN - 0269-5022
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3016.2005.00612.x
Subject(s) - medicine , in utero , fetus , disease , blood flow , obstetrics , monochorionic twins , coronary artery disease , blood pressure , twin twin transfusion syndrome , cardiology , pregnancy , physiology , genetics , biology
Summary Twin‐to‐twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a complication of monochorionic, diamniotic twins that results from unbalanced blood flow from one to the other in utero . The increased rate of functional heart disease among the recipient twins in these pregnancies is a model for the theory of fetal origins of adult health. Potential mechanisms for heart disease include alterations in the hormonal environment within the fetal bodies, blood pressure‐driven alterations in blood flow and blood vessel distensibility, abnormal differentiation of fetal myocardial cells and changes in coronary artery growth. Although there are no large studies showing adult consequences of this fetal physiological disturbance, paediatric problems certainly exist and predict an increased risk of adult disease.