title: Obstetric complications and perinatal outcome in triplet pregnancies.
abstract: The incidence of multiple pregnancies with more than two fetuses has significantly increased since the introduction of ovulation agents and assisted reproductive technologies. Over a 15-year period there were 35 triplet pregnancies beyond 24 weeks that delivered at the King Fahad Hospital, an incidence of 1 in 1,099 deliveries. Early diagnosis is important for improving the rate of fetal salvage in triplet pregnancy. These pregnancies were managed on an outpatient basis. Prophylactic interventions were not utilised. A total of 91% of the pregnancies had at least one antenatal complication, pre-term labour being the most common (80%) followed by anaemia (43%). The average gestational age at delivery was 31.7 weeks (SD 4.2 weeks). A total of 94.3% of the patients were delivered by lower segment caesarean section. The mean birth weight of the neonates was 1,552 g (SD 510 g) and mean 5-min Apgar score was 7.6 (SD 0.8). The corrected perinatal mortality rate in the study was 152/1,000. Pregnancy outcome did not vary with birth order or mode of conception. Higher rate of pre-term births among triplet pregnancies make considerable demands on the neonatal intensive care unit. All methods of assisted reproduction should aim at prevention of multifetal pregnancies.
authors.affiliation: King Fahad Hospital, Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Al-Suleiman
authors.forename: F E
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Al-Jama
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rahman
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Rahman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050498:Live Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D050497:Stillbirth / Q000453:epidemiology