First-trimester transabdominal multifetal pregnancy reduction: a report of 85 cases

Abstract

Eighty-five cases of multifetal pregnancy reduction were performed transabdominally at 9.5-13 weeks' gestation. All pregnancies consisted of three or more fetuses (28 triplets, 47 quadruplets, four quintuplets, four sextuplets, one septuplet, and one nontuplet), and all except five were reduced to twins. Forty-five women have delivered viable infants and eight lost all of the fetuses; 32 pregnancies are ongoing. No temporal relationship was noted between the pregnancy losses and the procedures. The mean gestational age at delivery was 35.7 weeks; 16 women (35.5%) delivered at or after 37 weeks, 16 (35.5%) between 34.5-37 weeks, nine (20%) between 32-34.5 weeks, and four (9%) before 32 weeks. There were no perinatal deaths, and all infants are healthy except for one who developed sequelae of severe hyaline membrane disease.