A comparative study of multifetal pregnancy reduction from triplets to twins in the first versus early second trimesters after detailed fetal screening.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the outcome of multifetal pregnancy reduction from triplets to twins performed either early (at 11-12 weeks' gestation) or late (at 13-14 weeks).


METHODS
Ninety-five high-order pregnancies following assisted conception were studied. Transabdominal sonographically guided multifetal pregnancy reduction was performed early in 46 women, while 49 women first underwent a sonographic fetal anomaly scan before undergoing selective reduction.


RESULTS
Sonographic screening led to selective termination of a specific fetus in nine cases due to increased nuchal translucency and relative intrauterine growth restriction in three cases each, and meningomyelocele, abdominal cyst and cystic hygroma in one case each. In the early reduction group a diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart in the two remaining twins was subsequently made, and one pair of twins suffers from cerebral palsy. The rate of pregnancy loss was not statistically different between the early (4.3%; 2/46) and late (4.0%; 2/49) termination groups. The birth weight and gestational age at birth were not statistically different between the early ( n = 85) and late ( n = 94) groups (2110 +/- 580 vs. 2140 +/- 490 g, and 35.8 +/- 3.0 vs. 35.7 +/- 3.5 weeks). Similarly there was no statistically significant difference between early and late groups in the incidence of very premature (24-32 weeks; 9.3 vs. 8.3%) and premature (33-36 weeks; 46.5 vs. 47.9%) births.


CONCLUSIONS
Early second-trimester multifetal pregnancy reduction from triplets to twins may allow more selective termination of abnormal fetuses without an adverse effect on the outcome of pregnancy. However, further studies are needed in order to confirm our observations in a larger series.
Lipitz
S
S
Ultrasound Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. slipitz@hotmail.com
Shulman
A
A
Achiron
R
R
Zalel
Y
Y
Seidman
D S
DS
D000367:Age Factors; D001724:Birth Weight; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D025063:Chromosome Disorders; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018607:Pregnancy Reduction, Multifetal; D014310:Triplets; D014427:Twins; D014463:Ultrasonography