International Multiple Birth Awareness Week 2018
5 – 12 November
Research with multiples benefits everyone
Why Awareness Week?
The mission of the multi-national membership of ICOMBO is to promote awareness of the unique needs of multiple birth infants, children, and adults. To address specific issues, ICOMBO utilizes Multiple Birth Awareness Week to draw attention to the Declaration of Rights and Statement of Needs of Multiple Birth Children, to stimulate international discussion and action on a specific theme. For 2018 ICOMBO chose to focus on research – with multiples and for the benefit of multiples. As well as raising awareness among the wider community, the theme reminds researchers to consider how they view and treat twins, triplets and more.
What happened?
Prior to the event, ICOMBO conducted a survey to help us understand more about the needs of parents and multiples themselves when it comes to participation in research. The result is a set of criteria that clearly explains what families and multiples want from the experience. We released the initial results from this survey during Awareness Week.
Research with multiples has provided unparalleled insights into what it is to be human; our behaviour and our mental and physical wellbeing. There are a number of ways that multiples can be compared to provide such information. Research with multiples is currently entering a new era; if it’s new and interesting, somewhere a twin researcher will studying it. Read more
Assoc Professor Jeff Craig, President of International Society of Twin Studies (ISTS)
Research with multiples benefits everyone at Twins Research Australia (TRA)
Each year thousands of volunteer twins and higher-order multiples around the world participate in research that benefits everyone’s health. Their amazing contribution was recognised during International Multiple Birth Awareness Week from 5-12 November 2018. Hear from two multiple birth families who benefit from their involvement in research.
When I first read about how epigenetic studies help identify significant differences in identical twins, I was thrilled for a number of reasons. First, I was hopeful that the nature/nurture controversy would finally be put to rest. In my view, nature and nurture are inexplicably linked from the time of conception going forward. Moreover, for personal reasons, I felt triumphant that finally there was evidence that identical twins are not a matching pair in spite of their duplicate DNA. Read more
Twin Studies: Enhancing Epigenetic Exploration, by Dr Joan Friedman:
A book review – Twin Mythconceptions:
Professor Nancy Segal, the author, looks over 70 different myths, misconceptions and beliefs about twins and shows how twin research can support or debunk them. Read more
For further information contact ICOMBO Chairperson at chair@icombo.org