Maternal characteristics of women delivered of twins: natural vs. induced

Abstract

This study retrospectively compared sociodemographic and anthropometric data, as well as selected obstetric outcomes, of 13 mothers of twins who conceived after ovulation induction with clomiphene citrate or Pergonal with similar data from 255 mothers who conceived naturally. Infertile women were significantly (P < .011) older and likely to be married, of the white race, and more educated than women who conceived naturally. Treated women were also taller and heavier prior to conception (NS). Treated women gained significantly more weight (45.9 lb vs. 30.1 lb). They also had a higher proportion of gestations > 32 weeks (91.7% vs. 74.1%) and longer mean gestations (36.5 weeks vs. 35.4 weeks) compared to naturally conceiving mothers of twins, but neither of these differences was significant. The infants of treated mothers had birthweights 9.5% heavier than the infants of mothers who conceived naturally. These retrospective findings suggest that previously infertile women who conceive twins do not suffer worse reproductive outcome than women who conceive naturally.