Perinatal outcome after multifetal reduction to twins compared with nonreduced multiple gestations.

The outcomes of twins resulting from multifetal reduction were analyzed to examine whether the outcome was improved over that of triplet and quadruplet pregnancies and similar to that of twin pregnancies not involving multifetal reduction. Maternal and perinatal outcomes were examined retrospectively in 62 infertile women who conceived multiple gestations with ovulation induction. The mean gestational age at birth of quadruplets was significantly less than that of twins reduced from quadruplets (24.8 versus 31.0 weeks; P less than .001), and there was appreciable neonatal mortality in the nonreduced quadruplets (62%). In twins selectively reduced from triplets as compared with nonreduced triplets, the mean gestational age at birth, though statistically significant, differed by an average of only 1.7 weeks (34.8 versus 33.1 weeks; P less than .05), and the mean gestational birth weight differed only by 380 g (2305 versus 1924.7 g; P less than .05). Triplets required a longer average stay in the neonatal intensive care unit than did twins resulting from multifetal triplet reduction (20.7 versus 8 days; P less than .001). Although five sets of triplets (20%) were born before 32 weeks, there were only two neonatal deaths, with the remainder of the 58 infants eventually discharged home. The mean gestational age of twins selectively reduced from triplets or quadruplets was significantly less than that for nonreduced twins (32.6 versus 35.3 weeks; P less than .001), and the groups differed by 1605 g in mean birth weight (1841.8 versus 2447.5 g; P less than .001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)