[Analysis of 55 cases of transvaginal multifetal pregnancy reduction].
OBJECTIVE
To report the outcomes of transvaginal ultrasound-guided multifetal pregnancy reduction (MFPR) in early high-order multiple gestation.


METHODS
Fifty-five cases of high-order multiple pregnancy including 1 septuplet, 7 quintuplets, 16 quadruplets and 31 triplets resulted from either superovulation/intrauterine insemination or in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer, were treated by transvaginal ultrasound guided MFPR at 49 - 79 days of gestational age. Their outcomes and complications were reported.


RESULTS
Multifetal reduction were successfully done in 53 cases (96%). Miscarriage occurred in 8 patients (15%). Twenty-one cases (47%) were premature delivery and 24 patients underwent term delivery resulting in 87 infants. Five preterm infants died of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome. Among them none has malformation. Of the 82 live infants, 1 had hexadactyly and another arterial septum defect occurred. No organ injury, massive hemorrhage and infection occurred after MFPR.


CONCLUSIONS
MFPR during early pregnancy is a safe, effective, simple operation for the purpose of reducing perinatal and maternal complication.
Huang
Hefeng
H
Department of Gynecology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China.
Zhu
Yimin
Y
Zhou
Fuzhen
F
Xu
Jian
J
Ye
Yinghui
Y
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018607:Pregnancy Reduction, Multifetal / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D014621:Vagina