Growth after intrauterine laser coagulation for twin-twin transfusion syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate prenatal and postnatal growth of twins with twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) after intrauterine laser coagulation.


METHODS
The weight and length of 54 sets of twins with severe TTTS surviving intrauterine laser coagulation at the intervention (median 20+4 weeks), at birth (median 34+3 weeks) and on the occasion of neurodevelopmental follow-up (median age 3 years 10 months) were investigated. All data were converted to Z scores, and groups were compared by two-tailed paired t test.


RESULTS
At all time points, donors are significantly lighter than recipients (p<0.001). After laser treatment the weight Z score of donors until birth remains unchanged (p=0.76), whereas recipients lose weight significantly (p<0.01). Postnatally, both donors and recipients show catch-up growth.


CONCLUSIONS
Intrauterine laser coagulation stops growth acceleration in recipients that leads to a decrease in intertwin discordance. After birth, significant catch-up growth was observed for the donor group (p<0.001).
Department of Neonatology, University Childrens' Hospital, Adenauerallee 119, Bonn 53113, Germany. cornelia.graef@ukb.uni-bonn.de
C
C
Maschke
A R
AR
Franz
B
B
Ellenrieder
K
K
Hecher
A
A
Diemert
P
P
Bartmann
D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D020567:Fetal Weight; D005330:Fetofetal Transfusion / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D017075:Laser Coagulation; D011247:Pregnancy; D014430:Twins, Monozygotic