Home »  Children »  Triplets do well long-term

Triplets do well long-term

By the age of 5, most triplets are at par with their peers in mental and emotional development, but those born with the lowest weights may still lag behind.

Triplets do well long-term

By the age of 5, most triplets are at par with their peers in mental and emotional development, but those born with the lowest weights may still lag behind.

Researchers from Israel studied and matched 21 sets of triplets with 21 sets of twins and 21 sets of singletons. It was found that among the total 126 singletons, twins and triplets they followed from birth to age 5, triplets generally trailed behind their peers in cognitive development over the first two years of life. By age 5, however, many triplets had bridged the gaps in both IQ and social development.

The exception was that the triplets who'd been particularly growth-restricted in the womb - those who, at birth, had weighed more than 15 percent less than the sibling with the highest birthweight. At age 5, these children were still developmentally behind both their siblings and peers.

At age 5, it was found that these children typically scored at the lower end of the normal range for intellectual, emotional and social development. For instance, average verbal IQ was about 95, which, while within normal range, would make it difficult for a child to get through standard schooling. Growth restriction was common among the triplets. In 65 percent, one sibling was born weighing more than 15 percent less than the heaviest sibling. The findings on development point to the importance of giving these children extra attention from infancy onward.

Parents of triplets should be aware that their children may be slower to reach developmental milestones in infancy, but most are likely to close that gap during the preschool years. Children who were born substantially smaller than their siblings may not catch up, however. Knowing that these children respond to parental investment already in the first months of life tells parents to be especially sensitive and responsive to these children. In addition, the children's development during infancy and preschool should be continuously monitored, and parents and children should receive extra help when needed - such as interventions to help children regulate their emotions and cultivate social skills, or to improve their attention and concentration abilities.

More studies are, however, needed to see whether the developmental gaps persist into later childhood and adolescence.
COMMENT

DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.

Was this Article Helpful Yes or No

................... Advertisement ...................

 

................... Advertisement ...................

................... Advertisement ...................

................... Advertisement ...................

--------------------------------Advertisement---------------------------------- -