::Sri Lankan Twin Registry::

Colombo Destrict Twin Census

For administrative purposes, Sri Lanka is divided into nine provinces and 25 districts. The district of Colombo is the most populous district with 12% of the total population. It is divided into 13 divisional secretariat divisions (DSDs) and each DSD is further divided into several grama niladhari divisions (GNDs). The GND is the smallest administrative unit, and is headed by a grama niladhari (GN). Colombo district has 557 GNDs. The GN is a civil servant, and visits each home in their administrative division once a year to update the electoral register.


	AHU	FDHU	FCHU	HUWTD	TP

10 DSD ¹ (489 GNDs) - Received Data	311,785	308,124	270,828	7,265	7,500
Awating Collection - 5 GNDs	4,393	-	-	-	-
3 DSD ² (292 EDs) - Received Data	109,853	91,564	70,106	1,835	1,930
Awating Collection - 79 EDs	40,084	-	-	-	-
Data Recieved by Post	-	-	42	21	24
Total	466,115	399,729	340,975	9,121	9,454

¹ Grama Niladharis conducted the census in these DSD
² Election department officers were also involved in the census in these highly populated DSD

AHU	-	All Housing Units
FDHU	-	Forms Distributed to Housing Units
FCHU	-	Forms Collected from Housing Units
HUWTD	-	Housing Units With Twin Data
TP	-	Twin Pairs
GND	-	Grama Niladari Division is the smallest administrative unit, headed by a “Grama Niladari”. This position evolved from the traditional Village Headman and is retained in the current administrative structure.


DSD	-	Divisional Secretariat Divisions
ED	-	Election Department

Twins in the Colombo District (Population Based)*


	Same Sex Male	Same Sex Female	Different Sex	Gender Unknown	Total

Twin Pairs & Triplets	3150	3370	2460	636	9616

* All numbers refers to pairs

Voluntary Registry of Twins & Multiples*


	Same Sex Male	Same Sex Female	Different Sex	M / Unknown	F / Unknown	Total

Twin Pairs	2239	2748	1640	10	15	6652
Triplets	20	34	48	0	0	102
Quadruplets	0	04	04	0	0	04

* All numbers refers to pairs

The oldest twins, triplets, quadruplets are 87, 46, and 16 years old respectively. 76.97% of twins, 90% of triplets, and all quadruplets are less than 25 years old.

Whole Island younger twins (1992-1997) Cohort (From the Registrar General Department of Birth and Death Registration - Based on Birth Register)

This cohort of twins, which will be a population based cohort, was traced through the Registrar General Of the Births and Death Registration Department. There are between 2500-3500 twins for a year.

Whole Island prospective infant cohort (2001)

The Registrar General of the Births and Death Registration Department has officially agreed to send us, the details of multiple births on a monthly return basis from 2001. This is expected to be around 200-300 twins a month. This cohort will enable us to follow them up for many years in relation to almost any trait or disease.

Smaller cohorts established to look in to the feasibility of setting-up a population based registry

Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital Cohort (Based on Birth Registrations)
This cohort consists of 433 twin pairs, 11 triplets and one quadruplet born between 1985-1997. The 433 twin pairs includes 163MM pairs, 162 FF pairs and 108 MF pairs.

Bandarewela Cohort
This consists of 65 twin pairs born between 1963-1995 mainly consisting of school children. There are 24 MM, 18 FF and 17 MF. Zygosity of these twins has been determined using questionnaire methods.

University Community Survey Cohort
This is a community-based cohort of 37 twin pairs, consisting of 10MM, 11FF and 13 MF.

Maternity Hospitals Cohort (Based on Birth Registers)
These are two separate cohorts from two main maternity hospitals in Colombo borne between 1954-1970. These were older twins detected through the Divisional Secretariat. (Divisional Birth Registration Office). Although 310 twin pairs were identified through birth record but only part of these -53 twin pairs - were traced.

Investigating the appropriateness of gathering information about twins through principal informants and community survey method.
These are two separate cohorts from Kaduwela and Kolonnawa Grama Niladhari Divisions. 32 twin pairs were identified from inside of the Kolonnawa Grama Niladhari Division. 20 pairs found by key informants. 10 pairs found by door knockings. 2 pairs; missing data. 27 Twin pairs identified from Kaduwela Grama Niladhari Division. 13 pairs found by key informants. 14 pairs found by door knocking.

Information from Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital


	Same Sex Male	Same Sex Female	Different Sex	M / Unknown	F / Unknown	Total

Twin pairs	36	39	25	2	1	103
Triplets	1	-	4	-	-	5
Quadruplets	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total	37	39	29	2	1	108

The SLTR Collected 108 twin pairs information, broth in years 2002 & 2003, from Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital. History of 53 Twin pair families had twins. 43 not twins of their family histories and 12 pairs didn't reported to this matter. 108 of this twin mothers, didn't report as a one of twin person. 5 twin fathers reported as twin persons.

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