The effects of birth weight discordance and prematurity on twin neonatal outcome
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R. Singh
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of birth weight discordance (BWD) and prematurity on twin neonatal outcome by measuring Apgar scores and blood glucose concentrations at birth.
Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study. All twins born at NY Methodist Hospital between January 1998 and December 2001 were eligible. Excluded were fetal deaths, maternal systemic disease, maternal infections, major neonatal malformations, neonates with birth weight < 500 g and multiple gestation greater than 2. BWD was defined as intrapair difference in birth weight expressed as percentage of the larger twin greater than 20% and prematurity as gestation of less than 37 weeks. Hypoglycemia was defined as blood glucose concentration < 40 mg/dl.
Results: There were 75 (48%) preterm and 80 (52%) term twin pairs. Nineteen (12%) of the preterm and 15 (9.6%) of the term showed BWD. Mean Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes were higher for the term twins as expected. Neither prematurity nor hypoglycemia was present predominantly in BWD twins. Twelve of the preterm and six of the term BWD twins showed evidence of hypoglycemia.
Conclusion: Hypoglycemia in the early hours of postnatal life is relatively common in preterm BWD twins. Blood glucose measurement using reagent strips is an efficient way of monitoring blood glucose concentrations in these infants.
Copyright © 2003 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG
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Articles in the same Issue
- Mode of conception, placental morphology and perinatal outcome of twin gestations
- The effects of birth weight discordance and prematurity on twin neonatal outcome
- Esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula: the impact of prenatal suspicion on neonatal outcome in a tertiary care center
- Microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity at birth is associated with adverse short-term outcome of preterm infants
- Is treatment with vaginal pessaries an option in patients with a sonographically detected short cervix?
- The effects of intramuscular administration of corticosteroids on the induction of parturition
- Perinatal significance of diagnosing glucose intolerance during pregnancy with portable glucose meter
- Biovar diversity of Ureaplasma urealyticum in amniotic fluid: distribution, intrauterine inflammatory response and pregnancy outcomes
- Comparative study on the expression of cytokine – receptor genes in normal and preeclamptic human placentas using DNA microarrays
- Chorioangioma – new insights into a well-known problem I. Results of a clinical and morphological study of 136 cases
- Chorioangiomas – new insights into a well-known problem II. An immuno-histochemical investigation of 136 cases
- Impaired CD14-dependent and independent response of polymorphonuclear leukocytes in preterm infants
- The left portal vein is the watershed of the fetal venous system
- Congress Calendar
