Outcomes of 'one-day trial of vaginal delivery of twins' at 36-37 weeks' gestation in Japan

• Published in: Obstetrics & gynecology science 2019, 62(6), 648, pp.404-410
• Main Authors: Haruna, Yuria, Suzuki, Shunji
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Original; perinatal outcomes; trial of labor; twin pregnancy; 산부인과학
• ISSN: 2287-8572; 2287-8580
• DOI: 10.5468/ogs.2019.62.6.404

The lack of obstetricians in Japan has prevented the implementation of a 24-hour delivery monitoring system for high-risk deliveries such as twin vaginal delivery at many obstetric facilities. To examine the outcomes of a 1-day trial of the vaginal delivery of twins at 36-37 weeks' gestation. We induced the vaginal delivery of twins at 36-37 weeks' gestation of 256 women who provided consent between January 2007 and December 2016 using the following protocol: 1) administration of 0.5 mg oral prostaglandin E2 every 1 hour (maximum: 1.5 mg) in the morning; 2) intravenous administration of oxytocin and amniotomy in the afternoon; and 3) selection of caesarean delivery when vaginal delivery was not expected by evening. We examined their perinatal outcomes in a chart review. The completion rates of vaginal delivery in total, nulliparous, and multiparous women were 79%, 72%, and 84%, respectively. There were no cases of neonatal asphyxia. The total incidence of neonatal respiratory disorders was 2.1%, but there were no cases of persistent pulmonary hypertension. The total incidence of postpartum hemorrhage requiring transfusion was 2.7%. The 1-day planned vaginal delivery of twins at 36-37 weeks' gestation appears valid and safe, and our findings suggest that it can be an option for the delivery of twins.