title: Is gestational hypertension beneficial in twin pregnancies?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are commonly associated with impaired foetal growth. However, some studies observed that gestational hypertension in twin pregnancy could be beneficial for foetal growth. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of gestational hypertension on neonatal birth weight among twin pregnancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study about the comparison of 196 hypertensive twin pregnancies to 912 normotensive ones, who gave birth in the teaching hospital "A. Gemelli" in Rome from 1980 to 2006.
  
  
  METHODS
  Birth weight, inter-twin weight discordance and rate of small for gestational age neonates in the first and second twin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Birth weight, inter-twin weight discordance and rate of small for gestational age neonates were similar between the two groups. In the normotensive group, the discordance >25% was associated with lower gestational age at the delivery (p<0.00001), data not observed in the hypertensive group. The rate of pregnancies with second twin small for gestational age rose while paralleling the degree of the discordance in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gestational hypertension in twin pregnancies, if compared to normotensive ones, is not detrimental for foetal growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrazzani
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: moresisascia@hotmail.it.
authors.forename: Sascia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moresi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Feo
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina Anna
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Degennaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salvi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hygiene, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boccia
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lanzone
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Catholic University of Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Carolis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age / Q000502:physiology; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D059285:Pregnancy, Twin / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
keywords: Birth weight; Gestational hypertension; Inter-twin weight discordance; Small for gestational age; Twin pregnancies