Counseling Families With Twins: Birth to 3 Years of Age
Patricia Gallagher Becker MD1
1 Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, and St Vincent Hospital and Health Care Center, 2001 W 86th St, Indianapolis, IN 46240
The difficulties and demands facing parents of twins or other multiple births are significantly greater than those facing parents of children born singly. Even routinely day-to-day care is sometimes different from that of a singleton. With the added stress in the home, parents will benefit from the pediatrician's advice on caring for their twins. Physicians need to be emotionally supportive and to offer suggestions such as changing breast-feeding technique, getting the father or other support person involved, and even linking these mothers with other mothers of twins. Discussion of feelings of inadequacy should be addressed during office visits.
This study suggests a need for more physician education concerning management of multiple-birth infants. Providing health care alone is not sufficient in the management of twins. Attention to and guidance in a wide variety of twin care measures is important if the pediatrician is to provide optimal care for the children and families involved in multiple births.
