Obstet Gynecol Sci.  2019 Jul;62(4):224-232. 10.5468/ogs.2019.62.4.224.

How much have the perinatal outcomes of triplet pregnancies improved over the last two decades?

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hwaseong, Korea.
  • 2Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. jyshim@amc.seoul.kr
  • 3Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. ohsymd@skku.edu
  • 4Department of Biostatistics, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract


OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to demonstrate the temporal trends in perinatal outcomes of triplet pregnancies over the last two decades.
METHODS
The medical records of patients with triplet pregnancies at two Korean tertiary-care hospitals from 1992 to 2012 were retrospectively reviewed in regard to maternal and neonatal outcomes. The study was divided into two periods for analysis: period I (1992-2001) and period II (2003-2012).
RESULTS
Over a 21-year period, 65 women with triplet pregnancies and 185 neonates were analyzed. Period II, when compared with period I, was associated with improved maternal outcomes, characterized by a decreased incidence of preeclampsia (31.8% vs. 2.3%, P=0.002) and anemia (68.2% vs. 30.2%, P=0.003) during pregnancy. Regarding neonatal aspects, the composite morbidity of period II was significantly decreased compared with that of period I, as assessed with a generalized estimating equation for logistic regression (26.2% vs. 8.1%, P=0.03). Multivariable analysis revealed that the gestational age at delivery and the period were significantly associated with the composite neonatal morbidity (P<0.001 and 0.007, respectively).
CONCLUSION
Improved neonatal morbidity was associated with a higher gestational age at delivery and with the more recent decade.

Keyword

Triplets; Pregnancy; Preterm birth; Pregnancy outcome

MeSH Terms

Anemia
Female
Gestational Age
Humans
Incidence
Infant, Newborn
Logistic Models
Medical Records
Pre-Eclampsia
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Outcome
Pregnancy, Triplet*
Premature Birth
Retrospective Studies
Triplets*

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Study participants and exclusion criteria.


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