Outcome of Twin Pregnancies Complicated by a Neural Tube Defect. 2018

Vanessa Ross, and Karen Reidy, and Lex W Doyle, and Ricardo Palma-Dias, and Mark P Umstad
Division of Maternity Services,The Royal Women's Hospital,Melbourne,Victoria,Australia.

Twin pregnancies discordant for neural tube defects (NTD) is a management dilemma. Risks of preterm delivery from polyhydramnios must be balanced with the risks of selective termination (ST) of the anomalous fetus. We investigated the prevalence of twin pregnancies discordant for NTD and the rate of pregnancy complications in our institution over a 10-year period. Cases were obtained by searching the hospital ultrasound database and findings were confirmed by expert review of ultrasound images. Outcomes of ST and expectant management were assessed. Each unaffected co-twin was assigned to three consecutive twin pregnancy controls matched by chorionicity and maternal age. Primary outcome was birth before 34 weeks' gestation. Secondary outcomes were small for gestational age, mode of delivery, neonatal unit admission, and neonatal death. In total, 13 pregnancies were identified as potential cases. Of these, 11 were included in the analysis: 9 dichorionic diamniotic and 2 monochorionic diamniotic twins. Seven cases had ST and four were managed expectantly. We found 100% (4/4) of expectantly managed pregnancies delivered <34 weeks compared with 14% (1/7) of the ST group (p = .015). Polyhydramnios complicated three expectantly managed pregnancies and one pregnancy in the ST group. The birthweight SD score of all unaffected co-twins was ≥-2. The case-control analysis showed a higher rate of polyhydramnios in twin pregnancies discordant for NTD compared with controls, but little evidence for differences between groups in delivery rates <34 weeks, birthweight, neonatal unit admission, or neonatal death. ST warrants serious consideration to avoid potential complications to the unaffected co-twin.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007223 Infant A child between 1 and 23 months of age. Infants
D007226 Infant Mortality Postnatal deaths from BIRTH to 365 days after birth in a given population. Postneonatal mortality represents deaths between 28 days and 365 days after birth (as defined by National Center for Health Statistics). Neonatal mortality represents deaths from birth to 27 days after birth. Neonatal Mortality,Mortality, Infant,Postneonatal Mortality,Infant Mortalities,Mortalities, Infant,Mortalities, Neonatal,Mortalities, Postneonatal,Mortality, Neonatal,Mortality, Postneonatal,Neonatal Mortalities,Postneonatal Mortalities
D007231 Infant, Newborn An infant during the first 28 days after birth. Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007234 Infant, Premature A human infant born before 37 weeks of GESTATION. Neonatal Prematurity,Premature Infants,Preterm Infants,Infant, Preterm,Infants, Premature,Infants, Preterm,Premature Infant,Prematurity, Neonatal,Preterm Infant
D009436 Neural Tube Defects Congenital malformations of the central nervous system and adjacent structures related to defective neural tube closure during the first trimester of pregnancy generally occurring between days 18-29 of gestation. Ectodermal and mesodermal malformations (mainly involving the skull and vertebrae) may occur as a result of defects of neural tube closure. (From Joynt, Clinical Neurology, 1992, Ch55, pp31-41) Craniorachischisis,Developmental Defects, Neural Tube,Diastematomyelia,Exencephaly,Neurenteric Cyst,Spinal Cord Myelodysplasia,Tethered Cord Syndrome,Acrania,Developmental Neural Tube Defects,Iniencephaly,Neural Tube Developmental Defects,Neuroenteric Cyst,Occult Spinal Dysraphism,Occult Spinal Dysraphism Sequence,Tethered Spinal Cord Syndrome,Acranias,Craniorachischises,Cyst, Neurenteric,Cyst, Neuroenteric,Cysts, Neurenteric,Cysts, Neuroenteric,Defect, Neural Tube,Defects, Neural Tube,Diastematomyelias,Dysraphism, Occult Spinal,Dysraphisms, Occult Spinal,Exencephalies,Iniencephalies,Myelodysplasia, Spinal Cord,Myelodysplasias, Spinal Cord,Neural Tube Defect,Neurenteric Cysts,Neuroenteric Cysts,Occult Spinal Dysraphisms,Spinal Cord Myelodysplasias,Spinal Dysraphism, Occult,Spinal Dysraphisms, Occult,Tethered Cord Syndromes
D011247 Pregnancy The status during which female mammals carry their developing young (EMBRYOS or FETUSES) in utero before birth, beginning from FERTILIZATION to BIRTH. Gestation,Pregnancies
D011248 Pregnancy Complications Conditions or pathological processes associated with pregnancy. They can occur during or after pregnancy, and range from minor discomforts to serious diseases that require medical interventions. They include diseases in pregnant females, and pregnancies in females with diseases. Adverse Birth Outcomes,Complications, Pregnancy,Adverse Birth Outcome,Birth Outcome, Adverse,Complication, Pregnancy,Outcome, Adverse Birth,Pregnancy Complication
D011446 Prospective Studies Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group. Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D004200 Diseases in Twins Disorders affecting TWINS, one or both, at any age. Diseases in Twin,Twin, Diseases in,Twins, Diseases in,in Twin, Diseases,in Twins, Diseases
D005260 Female Females

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