Genetic influences on neonatal temperament

The genetic contribution to temperament was assessed during the neonatal period in 172 newborn infants from 47 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) and 39 pairs of same-sex dizygotic (DZ) twins. Zygosity was not related to the neonatal temperament variables. Examination of the scores for twin concordance indicated significant within-pair concordance in temperament ratings, but MZ twins were not more like each other than DZ twins. The results suggested that neonatal temperament was influenced by environmental factors. Further analyses indicated that neonatal temperament was influenced by perinatal variables such as birth weight, 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores, and number of days spent in the hospital. It was concluded that there was no clear pattern of genetic influence on neonatal temperament, and that nonshared environmental factors were an important source of variance for temperament during this period.