Maternal determinants and fetal outcome of twin pregnancy: a five-year survey

Abstract

Background: Study prevalence of twin pregnancy, maternal risk factors and fetal outcome in twin pregnancy.Methods: A retrospective study of mothers with twin pregnancies who delivered during the period of 5 years. There were 109 mothers who gave birth to 218 babies. Maternal details, antenatal complications and fetal outcomes were analysed.Results: There were 5432 deliveries which included 109 twin births. Prevalence of twinning was 20/1000 deliveries. The mean age was 28.11 (±SD 4.89) with 69.7% in the younger age groups. No association with parity, BMI and ovulation induction was found. Most common complication was preterm delivery (64.2%) with mean gestational age being 35.07 (±SD 2.32). Others were diabetes (25.7%), hypertension (22.9%), hypothyroidism (14.6%) and postpartum hemorrhage (13.7%). Cesarean section was the commonest mode of delivery (78.0%) with fetal malpresentation (26.6%), fetal distress (20.2%) and hypertension (12.0%) being the commonest indications for termination. Among the hypertensive mothers, 23 delivered by Cesarean and only 2 delivered vaginally which was statistically significant (p- 0.03 OR 5.20). Dichorionicity was commoner than monochorionicity (66.1% vs. 33.9%). Among 218 fetuses delivered, 214 were live births and 4 still born. There were low birth weight Babies (70.6%), normal weight (15.3%), VLBW babies (11.5%) and 2.7% ELBW babies. Fetal complications were IUGR (11.46%), discordant twins (6.8%), congenital anomalies (1.8%), single fetal demise (1.8%) and Intra uterine death of a twin (0.4%). Perinatal mortality rate was 1.65 per thousand births.Conclusions: Prevalence of twin pregnancy was 20/1000 deliveries. Twin pregnancies were seen to be more in the younger age group. Preterm labor, diabetes and hypertension were the main complications with cesarean the most common mode of delivery. Dichorionicity led to less fetal complications and low perinatal mortality.