Pregnancies with more than one fetus are not uncommon. According to 2018 data, almost 1 in 30 babies born are of a twin pregnancy.1 Infants born from a pregnancy with multiples are at a higher risk for adverse outcomes including birth defects, low-birth weight and preterm deliveries, and therefore, professional societies around the world recommend increased surveillance and screening for these pregnancies.2–7
References
- Martin JA, Osterman MJK. Is Twin Childbearing on the Decline? Twin Births in the United States 2014-2018 NCHS Data Brief No 351, October 2019
- Centre NC. Multiple pregnancy. Heal (San Fr. 2011;(September).
- ACOG. Practice Bulletin 169: Multifetal gestations: Twin, triplet and higherorder multifetal pregnancies. Obstet Gynecol. 2016;128(4):e131-e146.
- Oepkes D, Sueters M. Antenatal fetal surveillance in multiple pregnancies. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol. 2017;38:59-70.
- Khalil A, Rodgers M, Baschat A, et al. ISUOG Practice Guidelines: role of ultrasound in twin pregnancy. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2016;47(2):247- 263.
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. Obstetric Care Consensus No. 6. Obstet Gynecol. 2017;130(4):e187-e199.
- Audibert F, Gagnon A. No. 262-Prenatal Screening for and Diagnosis of Aneuploidy in Twin Pregnancies. J Obstet Gynaecol Canada. 2017;39(9):e347-e361.