Clinical consequences of first-trimester growth discordance in twins.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the clinical consequences of size discordance in the first-trimester of pregnancy in twins.


METHODS
This study was performed in a university tertiary referral centre. Nineteen pairs of twins identified as discordant were compared with 41 concordant twins. The rates of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), congenital malformations, and growth discordance in late pregnancy and at delivery were compared using chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test.


RESULTS
There was not a significant difference in the rate of congenital malformations between the studied groups. The rates of IUGR and fetal growth discordance in late pregnancy were significantly higher in the first-trimester discordant group (57.2 and 35.7%, respectively) than in the control group (24.4 and 7.3%; P = 0.03 and 0.02, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
First-trimester growth discordant twins have an increased risk of IUGR and growth discordance in late pregnancy, and therefore they are a high-risk subgroup among multiple pregnancies.
Bartha
José L
JL
Fetal Medicine Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, St. Michael's Hospital, University of Bristol, Southwell Street, Bristol BS2 8EG, UK. j.bartha@bristol.ac.uk
Ling
Yi
Y
Kyle
Phillipa
P
Soothill
Peter W
PW
D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000209:etiology; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D020567:Fetal Weight / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal