Does maternal height affect triplets' birth weight?

BACKGROUND

In cases of triplet gestation where patients are reluctant to undergo multifetal pregnancy reduction, it would be helpful to identify predictive factors regarding poor or better outcomes. One such possible factor may be maternal height, which is possibly predictive of gestational age and neonatal birth weight.

MATERIAL/METHODS: To examine such a possible association, we have retrospectively evaluated 102 triplet gestations. Maternal height and BMI were compared and correlated to neonatal weight, week of delivery, NICU hospitalization duration, and other parameters of pregnancy outcome.

RESULTS

Mothers taller than 165 cm gave birth to significantly heavier neonates than shorter parturients delivered of triplets. Individual and mean total triplet neonatal weights were positively correlated to maternal height. There was no significant correlation between preconceptional maternal BMI and triplet neonatal weight and week of delivery, NICU hospitalization or any other parameter.

CONCLUSIONS

The taller patient (>165 cm) may be at a significantly lower risk of very low birth weight neonates and very premature delivery as compared to the shorter patient (< 165 cm). Therefore, the factor of maternal height may be taken into consideration in multiple gestation pregnancy consultations. Smaller mothers should never receive more than two embryos in IVF programs to reduce the risk of triplets almost completely.