Nationwide Twin Birth Weight Percentiles by Gestational Age in Taiwan.
BACKGROUND
Nationwide birth weight norms for twins have been reported in several countries across different ethnicities, but such data have not been established in Taiwan. The purpose of this study was to develop reference growth charts that are population-based and contain the information of birth weight percentiles by gestational age for twin neonates in Taiwan.


METHODS
In this study, we collected nationwide birth weight data for twins by sex and gestational age through the Taiwan Birth Registry. Percentiles, means, and standard deviations of birth weight for each 1-week increment of gestational age from 21 weeks of gestation were estimated and smoothed using weighted polynomial models.


RESULTS
The 10(th), 50(th), and 90(th) percentiles of birth weight born at the 37(th) gestational week were 2174 g, 2580 g, and 3125 g for male twins, respectively, and they were 2100 g, 2500 g, and 3000 g for female twins, respectively. The 10(th), 50(th), and 90(th) percentiles of birth weight born at the 40(th) gestational week were 2326, 3285, and 3790 g for male twins, respectively, and they were 2200 g, 2770 g, and 3690 g for female twins, respectively.


CONCLUSION
This is the first nationwide birth weight norm for twins in Taiwan, which is particularly useful for investigation into the predictors and outcomes of altered fetal growth through twin studies in the Taiwanese population.
['Hu|I-Jan|IJ|', 'Hsieh|Chia-Jung|CJ|', 'Jeng|Suh-Fang|SF|', 'Wu|Hui-Chen|HC|', 'Chen|Chien-Yi|CY|', 'Chou|Hung-Chieh|HC|', 'Tsao|Po-Nien|PN|', 'Lin|Shio-Jean|SJ|', 'Chen|Pau-Chung|PC|', 'Hsieh|Wu-Shiun|WS|']
D001724:Birth Weight D005260:Female D005865:Gestational Age D006801:Humans D007231:Infant, Newborn D008297:Male D013624:Taiwan D014427:Twins
twin birth weight percentile gestational age intrauterine growth