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Obstetric Outcome in Twin Gestation in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital: A 5-year Review


CR Osakwe
OJ Osakwe

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Twin pregnancies are high risk pregnancies. Foetal and maternal complications are common in twin pregnancies. Therefore, periodic review is necessary to improve on the twin pregnancy outcome.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence and outcome of twin pregnancies in the hospital.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study and the case records of all twin pregnancies managed st st at the hospital, between 1 August 2003 and 31 July 2008 were retrieved from the medical records department and studied.
RESULTS: During the period under review, there was a total of 3187 deliveries, 56 of which were twin pregnancies. This gave an incidence of 1.8%. Only 42 of the patients' folders were available for analysis. The mean age and parity of mothers were 29.5 ) 5.3 years and 3.1 ) 1.7, respectively. Male infants constituted 54.8% of the twins with male to female ratio of 1.2:1.0. Of the twin deliveries, presentation of cephalic cephalic for the first and second twins was the most common, 38.1%. Male- male twin pair occurred in 31.0%, male- female twins in 28.6%, female-female in 21.4%, which female- male twins occurred in 19.0%. Males were first twin in 59.6% and second twin in 50.0%, while females were first twin in 40.4% and second twin in 50.0% of the cases. This was for dizygotic twins.
Caesarean section rate was 28.6% in the overall twin pregnancies. Perinatal mortality was 119 per 1000 deliveries.
CONCLUSION: The incidence of twin pregnancy from the study was 1.8%. There is decreasing perinatal mortality in the region due to improved obstetric practice.

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