title: Triplet gestation: clinical outcome of 14 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine maternal complications and fetal outcome of triplet gestations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of pregnant women with triplet gestation managed in 10 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen women were managed with triplet gestation, of these, (71.4%) were booked for antenatal care and four (28.6%) were unbooked. The mean age of the women was 31.3 years. The age range was between twenty seven years and thirty nine years. The mean gestational age at diagnosis for the booked women was 18.6 weeks. Of the fourteen patients, ten (71.4%) had spontaneous conception, three (21.4%) followed ovulation induction and one (7.2%) resulted from invitro fertilization and embryo transfer. Two (14.3%) patients had cervical cerclage based on their past obstetric history and assessment of the cervix. Six (42.9%) patients were hospitalized and treated for preeclampsia 3 patients, spontaneous abortion 1 patient and cervical incompetence 2 patients. Eleven (78.6%) patients had preterm birth. The mean gestational age at delivery was 33.4 weeks. Of the thirteen deliveries, nine (69.2%) had caesarean section and four (30.8%) delivered per vaginam. A total of thirty nine babies were delivered, thirty four (87.2%) babies survived and five (12.8%) died. Perinatal mortality was 11.9% and the "take home" baby rate was 81%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Antenatal care with initiation of specialized prenatal care and planned delivery in triplet gestation improves fetal outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, Zaria, Nigeria. adebiyi_g@yahoo.com
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Adesiyun
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eseigbe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D054238:Perinatal Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D017584:Reproductive History; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014310:Triplets