title: The association between maternal factors and perinatal outcomes in triplet pregnancies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the associations between maternal factors and outcomes in triplet pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a historic cohort study of 194 triplet pregnancies of >or=24 weeks of gestation that were delivered from 1983 through 2001 from five medical centers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In analyses that were limited to pregnancies with all live-born triplets (178 pregnancies), women with a previous good outcome (>2500 g + >37 weeks of gestation) had longer gestations (+7.9 days, P =.03), better rates of fetal growth (+4.9 g/wk, P <.0001), and higher birth weights (+153 g, P <.0001). Maternal weight gains of <36 pounds by 24 weeks of gestation were associated with lower birth weights (-197 g, P <.0001), and fetal growth rates at <or=25th percentile were associated with a shorter length of gestation (-36.7 days, P <.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Previous obstetric outcome and weight gain by 24 weeks of gestation were associated significantly with fetal growth rate and birth weight; fetal growth rate, in turn, was associated significantly with length of gestation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33136, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Luke
authors.forename: Clark
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nugent
authors.forename: Cosmas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van de Ven
authors.forename: Dibe
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Mary Jo
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: O'sullivan
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eardley
authors.forename: Frank R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Witter
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mauldin
authors.forename: Roger B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Newman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D015430:Weight Gain