Breech presenting twin A: is vaginal delivery safe?
-
Anwar H. Nassar
Abstract
The aim of our study was to compare the neonatal outcome of vaginally delivered breech-presenting twins (VD) to those delivered by cesarean (CS). Maternal and neonatal charts of all live, non-anomalous twins delivered at ≥25 weeks of gestation, in a single tertiary care center, over an 11-year period were reviewed. Of 517 twins delivered, 130 breech-presenting twins were analyzed. Thirty-five (26.9%) were delivered vaginally and 95 (73.1%) by cesarean. More patients presented in labor with advanced cervical dilation in the VD compared to the CS group. There was no difference in the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, need for mechanical ventilation, length of nursery stay or neonatal mortality rate when twin A was compared in the two groups. However, one breech-presenting twin in the VD group had a traumatic delivery at 32 weeks of gestation that caused a spine fracture followed by immediate neonatal death. Although there seems to be no compromise in the immediate neonatal outcome of breech-presenting twins delivered vaginally compared to those delivered by cesarean, the case of head entrapment that led to intrapartum death is quite alarming. Based on our study, we cannot advocate normal vaginal delivery when twin A is non-vertex: cesarean seems to be a safer route of delivery.
References
1 Adams DM, FA Chervenal: Intrapartum management of twin gestation. Clinic Obstet Gynecol33 (1990) 52Search in Google Scholar
2 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Mode of term singleton breech delivery. ACOG Committee Opinion no. 265. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Washington DC 2001Search in Google Scholar
3 American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists: Special problems of multiple gestation. ACOG educational bulliten no. 253. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Washington DC 1998Search in Google Scholar
4 Barrett JF, WK Ritchie: Twin delivery. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynecol16 (2002) 43Search in Google Scholar
5 Blickstein I, A Weissman, H Ben-Hur, R Borenstein, V Insler: Vaginal delivery of breech-vertex twins. J Reprod Med38 (1993) 879Search in Google Scholar
6 Blickstein I, RD Goldman, M Kupferminc: Delivery of breech first twins: a multicenter retrospective study. Obstet Gynecol95 (2000) 37Search in Google Scholar
7 Bloomfield MM, EH Philipson: External cephalic version of twin A. Obstet Gynecol89 (1997) 814Search in Google Scholar
8 Brown L, T Karrison, LA Cibils: Mode of delivery and perinatal results in breech presentation. Am J Obstet Gynecol171 (1994) 28Search in Google Scholar
9 Chervenak FA, RE Johnson, RL Berkowitz, JC Hobbins: Intrapartum external version of the second twin. Obstet Gynecol62 (1983) 160Search in Google Scholar
10 Grisaru D, S Fuchs, MJ Kupferminc, J Har-Toov, J Niv, JB Lessing: Outcome of 306 twin deliveries according to first twin presentation and method of delivery. Am J Perinatol17 (2000) 303Search in Google Scholar
11 Hannah ME, WJ Hannah, SA Hewson, ED Hodnett, S Saigal, AR Willan: Planned cesarean section versus planned vaginal birth for breech presentation at term: a randomised multicentre trial. Lancet356 (2000) 1375Search in Google Scholar
12 LarosRK, BJ Datteel: Management of twin pregnancy; the vaginal route is still safe: Am J Obstet Gynecol158 (1988) 1330Search in Google Scholar
13 Oettinger M, E Ophir, J Markovitz, E Stolero, M Odeh: Is cesarean section necessary for delivery of a breech first twin? Gynecol Obstet Invest35 (1993) 38Search in Google Scholar
14 Powers WP, NS Wapler: Further defining the risks confronting twins. Am J Obstet Gynecol175 (1996) 1522Search in Google Scholar
15 Rydhstroem H: Should all twins be delivered by caesarean section? A priliminary report. Twin Res4 (2001) 15610.1375/twin.4.3.156Search in Google Scholar
16 Tan S-L, P Doyle, S Campbell, V Beral, B Rizk, P Brinsden, B Mason, RG Edwards: Obstetric outcome of in vitro fertilization pregnancies compared with normally conceived pregnancies: Am J Obstet Gynecol167 (1992) 778Search in Google Scholar
17 Tanbo T and T Åbyholm: Obstetric and perinatal outcome in pregnancies after assisted reproduction. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol8 (1996) 19310.1097/00001703-199606000-00008Search in Google Scholar
18 Zhang J, WA Bowes Jr, TW Grey, MJ McMahon: Twin delivery and neonatal and infant mortality: a population-based study. Obstet Gynecol88 (1996) 593Search in Google Scholar
© Walter de Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Author Index
- Subject Index
- Contents
- Difficult delivery of the impacted fetal head during cesarean section: intraoperative disengagement dystocia
- Breech presenting twin A: is vaginal delivery safe?
- Maternal serum interleukin-1β, -6 and -8 levels and potential determinants in pregnancy and peripartum
- Comparison between HELLP syndrome, chronic hypertension, and superimposed preeclampsia on chronic hypertension without HELLP syndrome
- Fetal scalp pH and ST analysis of the fetal ECG as an adjunct to CTG. A multi-center, observational study
- Effects of nitric oxide and prostacyclin on hemodynamic response by big endothelin-1 in near term fetal sheep
- Strategy for management of newborns with cervical teratoma
- Predicting neonatal outcomes: birthweight, body mass index or ponderal index?
- Markers of platelets activation, CD 62P and soluble P-selectin in healthy term neonates
- Detection of parvovirus B19, cytomegalovirus and enterovirus infections in cases of intrauterine fetal death
- Plasma endothelin-1 and clinical manifestations of neonatal sepsis
- Noncompaction of the left ventricular myocardium diagnosed in pregnant woman and neonate
- Ventricular bigeminy misdiagnosed as fetal bradycardia by cardiotocography – the value of non-invasive fetal electrocardiography
- Prolonged fetal bradycardia as the presenting clinical sign in Streptococcus agalactiae chorioamnionitis
- Changes of blood pressure and heart rate variability precede a grand mal seizure in a pregnant woman
- Myocardial infarction in early pregnancy
- The baby and the bathwater – a comment
- Reply to the opinion paper “The baby or the bathwater: which one should be discarded?”
Articles in the same Issue
- Author Index
- Subject Index
- Contents
- Difficult delivery of the impacted fetal head during cesarean section: intraoperative disengagement dystocia
- Breech presenting twin A: is vaginal delivery safe?
- Maternal serum interleukin-1β, -6 and -8 levels and potential determinants in pregnancy and peripartum
- Comparison between HELLP syndrome, chronic hypertension, and superimposed preeclampsia on chronic hypertension without HELLP syndrome
- Fetal scalp pH and ST analysis of the fetal ECG as an adjunct to CTG. A multi-center, observational study
- Effects of nitric oxide and prostacyclin on hemodynamic response by big endothelin-1 in near term fetal sheep
- Strategy for management of newborns with cervical teratoma
- Predicting neonatal outcomes: birthweight, body mass index or ponderal index?
- Markers of platelets activation, CD 62P and soluble P-selectin in healthy term neonates
- Detection of parvovirus B19, cytomegalovirus and enterovirus infections in cases of intrauterine fetal death
- Plasma endothelin-1 and clinical manifestations of neonatal sepsis
- Noncompaction of the left ventricular myocardium diagnosed in pregnant woman and neonate
- Ventricular bigeminy misdiagnosed as fetal bradycardia by cardiotocography – the value of non-invasive fetal electrocardiography
- Prolonged fetal bradycardia as the presenting clinical sign in Streptococcus agalactiae chorioamnionitis
- Changes of blood pressure and heart rate variability precede a grand mal seizure in a pregnant woman
- Myocardial infarction in early pregnancy
- The baby and the bathwater – a comment
- Reply to the opinion paper “The baby or the bathwater: which one should be discarded?”