Morbidity and mortality of twins and triplets compared to singleton infants delivered between 26–34 weeks gestation in the United States

• Published in: Journal of perinatology 2024-02, Vol.44 (2), p.231-238
• Main Authors: Khan, Sara, Kilpatrick, Ryan, Benjamin, Daniel K., Kolnik, Sarah E., Greenberg, Rachel G., Clark, Reese, Zimmerman, Kanecia O., Puia-Dumitrescu, Mihai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/308/174; 692/499; Babies; Births; Continuous positive airway pressure; Data warehouses; Female; Gestational Age; Hospitals; Humans; Infant; Infant Mortality; Infant, Newborn; Infants; Intensive care; Intervention; Length of stay; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Morbidity; Mortality; Neonates; Ostomy; Pediatric Surgery; Pediatrics; Preeclampsia; Pregnancy; Pregnancy, Multiple; Prenatal care; Retrospective Studies; Sepsis; Statistical analysis; Steroids; Surfactants; Tracheotomy; Triplets; Twins; United States - epidemiology; Variables; Ventilators
• ISSN: 0743-8346; 1476-5543; 1476-5543
• DOI: 10.1038/s41372-023-01822-1

Objective To describe in-hospital morbidities and mortality among twins and triplets delivered at ≥26 to ≤34 weeks gestational age (GA) while controlling for prematurity and growth restriction. Study design Retrospective analysis of inborn infants discharged from a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) managed by the Pediatrix Medical Group between 2010 and 2018. Result Among 247 437 infants included, 27.4% were multiples. Adjusted for GA and other factors typically known prior to delivery, in-hospital morbidities varied by plurality and generally were more common in singletons. The odds of death prior to discharge were less for twins at 0.74 (95% CI: 0.67–0.83) and triplets at 0.69 (95% CI: 0.51–0.92) compared to singletons. Conclusion Singletons experience greater morbidity and mortality compared to twins and triplets born ≥26 weeks to ≤34 weeks GA, except PDA requiring procedural intervention, ROP requiring treatment, and longer length of stay.