The effect of mode of delivery on neonatal outcome of twins with birthweight under 1500 grams.

The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the mode of delivery on neonatal outcome of twins weighing <1500 grams. We reviewed the effect of birth order, presentation, and method of delivery on neonatal outcome in twin gestation under 1500 grams at Princess Badeea' Teaching Hospital in North Jordan over the 6 years from 1994 to 1999. During the study period, there were 51 475 deliveries of which 695 were twin. One hundred and eight (108) sets of twins weighing <1500 grams were included in the study (15.5%), of which 41 were in vertex-vertex presentation, 40 in vertex-nonvertex, and 27 with first twin in nonvertex presentation. The second twin was characterised by a higher incidence of respiratory distress syndrome (82% vs. 70%; P = 0.02), more neonatal mortality (23% vs. 17.6%), and lower Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes. Cesarean delivery for vertex-vertex presentation did not improve the neonatal outcome. Rather, the incidence of RDS was significantly greater in this group delivered by caesarean section (65.6% vs. 42%; P = 0.012). For nonvertex presentation, those delivered by caesarean section had a lower incidence of neonatal mortality. We conclude that there was no advantage in caesarean delivery after multivariate analysis to correct for differences in birthweight between the groups. The differences in the neonatal outcome of nonvertex twin presentation was accounted for by the differences in birthweight, rather than in mode of delivery.