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. 2019 Jul;62(4):224-232.
doi: 10.5468/ogs.2019.62.4.224. Epub 2019 Jun 17.

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

Kyu-Sang Kyeong  1 , Jae-Yoon Shim  2 , Soo-Young Oh  3 , Hye-Sung Won  2 , Pil Ryang Lee  2 , Ahm Kim  2 , Sung-Cheol Yun  4 , Pureun-Narae Kang  3 , Suk-Joo Choi  3 , Cheong-Rae Roh  3
Affiliations

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

Kyu-Sang Kyeong et al. Obstet Gynecol Sci. 2019 Jul.

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.

Keywords: Pregnancy; Pregnancy outcome; Preterm birth; Triplets.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Study participants and exclusion criteria.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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