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. 2019 Dec 31;20(1):2.
doi: 10.1186/s12884-019-2670-3.

Perinatal outcomes in Finnish twins: a retrospective study

Annu-Riikka Susanna Rissanen  1 , Riina Maria Jernman  2 , Mika Gissler  3   4 , Irmeli Katriina Nupponen  5 , Mika Erkki Nuutila  2
Affiliations

Perinatal outcomes in Finnish twins: a retrospective study

Annu-Riikka Susanna Rissanen et al. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: To establish the changes in perinatal morbidity and mortality in twin pregnancies in Finland, a retrospective register research was conducted. Our extensive data from a 28-year study period provide important information on the outcome of twin pregnancies in Finland that has previously not been reported to this extent.

Methods: All 23,498 twin pregnancies with 46,996 children born in Finland during 1987-2014 were included in the study. Data were gathered from the Medical Birth Register and the Hospital Discharge Register (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Finland) regarding perinatal mortality (PNM) and morbidity. For statistical analysis, binomial regression analysis and crosstabs were performed. The results are expressed in means, percentages and ranges with comparison to singletons when appropriate. Odds ratios from binomial regression analysis are reported. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: There were 46,363 liveborn and 633 stillborn twins in Finland during 1987-2014. Perinatal mortality decreased markedly, from 45.1 to 6.5 per 1000 for twin A and from 54.1 to 11.9 per 1000 for twin B during the study period. Yet, the PNM difference between twin A and B remained. Early neonatal mortality did not differ between twins, but has decreased in both. Asphyxia, respiratory distress syndrome, need for antibiotics and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stay were markedly more common in twin B.

Conclusions: In Finland, PNM and early neonatal mortality in twins decreased significantly during 1987-2014 and are nowadays very low. However, twin B still faces more complications. The outline provided may be used to further improve the monitoring and thus perinatal outcome of twins, especially twin B.

Keywords: Neonatal mortality; Perinatal mortality; Pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, high-risk; Twins.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
a Early neonatal mortality in twins per 1000 children born alive in Finland in 1987–2014 presented in 7-year periods. b Stillbirth rate of twins and singletons per 1000 children born in Finland in 1987–2014 presented in 7-year periods. c Perinatal mortality of twins and singletons born in Finland in 1987–2014 presented in 7-year periods
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The mean number of twins diagnosed with any level of asphyxia in Finland in 1987–2014
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Neonatal diagnoses and treatments in Finland in 1991–2014 presented in 5-year and 4-year periods (2011–2014). The mean percentage of liveborn twins diagnosed with respiratory distress syndrome and twin newborns needing respirator, antibiotic use or admission to NICU
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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