Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Multiple Birth”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Multiple-birth risk associated with IVF and extended embryo culture: USA, 2001.

BACKGROUND: Multiple births are associated with serious adverse infant and maternal outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the multiple-birth risk (MBR) associated with IVF and determine whether the risk is impacted by stage of embryo development at transfer. METHODS: A population-based sample of 50 819 IVF transfers utilizing day 3 or day 5 embryos performed in the USA in 2001 on women aged 20-40 years was used to assess MBR and live-birth rate (LBR), stratified by patient age, supernumerary embryo availability, and number of embryos transferred. RESULTS: Although significantly more day 5 than day 3 transfers used < or =2 embryos (69.2 versus 27.7%), the former were not associated with decreased MBR. MBR was high when >1 embryo was transferred, irrespective of embryo development stage. LBR were generally maximized with 2 embryos transferred, and for some (day 5 transfers, patients aged 35-37 years) with one embryo. Electing to transfer a single day 5 embryo appeared efficacious for some patients: women aged 20-37 years with supernumerary embryos cryopreserved had LBR of 31.6-39.5%. CONCLUSIONS: MBR is high when > or =2 embryos are transferred. Single embryo transfer is the only way to prevent many multiple births and associated adverse health outcomes.

Adult↗

Preparation for parenting multiple birth children.

The experience of expecting and parenting multiples is decidedly different from that of a singleton pregnancy and parenthood. Multiple births are associated with substantial medical, health care, socio-emotional, developmental, educational and economic consequences for both families and society. This paper aims to advise health professionals on how best to help families prepare for and successfully respond to the demands of multiple pregnancy and the first 5 years of parenthood after the births of twins, triplets or more. Four inter-related principles of good practice are vital to the care of multiple birth families: the involvement of a range of disciplines, of the family and of the multiple birth community; the provision of specialised care; coordinated services; and the building of family competency including the capacity to make informed decisions. Preparation should include education on the special aspects of multiple pregnancy and parenting using multiples-focused resources, health promotion and risk modification strategies, infant care and feeding, child development and advice on securing help and support while ensuring family participation in all care decisions.

Adult↗

Economic implications of multiple births: inpatient hospital costs in the first 5 years of life.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate long term health service costs for hospital stays associated with singleton, twin, and higher order multiple births up to 5 years of age. DESIGN: Costs from specialty based data from the English Department of Health's NHS Trust Financial Returns were applied to admissions recorded in the Oxford record linkage study during 1970-1993. SETTING: Oxfordshire and West Berkshire, United Kingdom. SUBJECTS: A total of 276,897 children, of whom 270,428 were singletons, 6284 were twins, and 185 were higher order multiple births. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Duration of hospital admissions during the first 5 years of life. Costs, expressed in pound sterling and valued at 1998-1999 prices, of hospital inpatient services. RESULTS: The total duration of hospital admissions for twins and triplets were respectively twice and eight times that for singletons, once duration of life had been taken into account. Inpatient costs were significantly higher for multiple births than for singletons, with the cost differences concentrated in the first year of life. Over the first 5 years of life, the adjusted mean cost was estimated at 1532 pounds (95% confidence interval (CI) 1516 pounds to 1548 pounds) for singletons, 3826 pounds (95%CI 3724 pounds to 3929 pounds) for twins, and 8156 pounds (95%CI 7559 pounds to 8754 pounds) for higher order multiple births (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Multiple births contribute disproportionately to hospital inpatient costs, especially during the children's first year of life.

Age Factors↗

Cerebral palsy and multiple births.

AIM: To compare the birthweight specific prevalence of cerebral palsy in singleton and multiple births. METHODS: Registered births of babies with cerebral palsy born to mothers resident in the counties of Merseyside and Cheshire during the period 1982 to 1989 were ascertained. RESULTS: The crude prevalence of cerebral palsy was 2.3 per 1000 infant survivors in singletons, 12.6 in twins, and 44.8 in triplets. The prevalence of cerebral palsy rose with decreasing birthweight. The birthweight specific prevalence among those of low birthweight < 2500 g was not significantly different in singleton than in multiple births. Among infants weighing > or = 2500 g, there was a significantly higher risk in multiple than in singleton births. The higher crude cerebral palsy prevalence in multiple births is partly due to the lower birthweight distribution and partly due to the higher risk among normal birthweight infants. CONCLUSIONS: Multiple birth babies are at increased risk of cerebral palsy. There is also an increased risk of cerebral palsy within a twin pregnancy if the co-twin has died in utero.

Birth Weight↗

Multiple birth versus neonatal brain lesions in children born prematurely as predictors of perceptuo-motor impairment at age 6.

Our primary objective in this study was to test the multiple birth hypothesis, which asserts that multiple gestation and delivery, per se, entail a greater likelihood of adverse outcome than for singletons. Our second objective was to assess the power of various neonatal risk indicators to predict developmental status at school age. In particular, we sought to weigh multiple birth as an indicator of outcome against brain lesions visualized by ultrasonography. Additional neonatal indicators included birth weight, gestational age, weight relative to gestational age, and gender. At 6 years of age, children were assessed on selected aspects of perceptuo-motor competence and verbal ability. Previous findings favoring the multiple birth hypothesis have been mostly confined to comparisons of unmatched groups of twins and singletons. This study limited investigation to children born prematurely (before 35 weeks gestation) and included comparison of multiplet-singleton pairs, matched on type and extent of any lesions, gestational age, and birth weight. The full sample comprised 124 singletons and 45 multiplets (twins, triplets, and quadruplets). About half exhibited brain lesions in the neonatal period. In this population, there was no tendency for singletons to do better than multiplets, either in the unmatched or matched samples, at 6 years of age. Lesions, supplemented by gestational age, were highly predictive of outcome on the selected measures. In contrast, the multiple birth factor was of no predictive utility.

Birth Weight↗

Breast-feeding and bottle-feeding of twins, triplets and higher order multiple births.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to determine the rates of breast-feeding and/or bottle-feeding in mothers of twins, triplets and higher order multiple births compared to those in mothers of singletons, and identify factors associated with decision as to breast-feed or bottle-feed. METHODS: The subjects were 1,529 mothers of twins aged 6 months-6 years and 258 mothers of triplets and higher order multiple births (higher multiples) aged 6 months-6 years (234 mothers of triplets, 20 mothers of quadruplets, 4 mothers of quintuplets). Also, 1,300 subjects were recruited as a control group from mothers of singletons aged 6 months-6 years. Information regarding feeding methods, including exclusive breast-feeding, mixed-feeding and bottle-feeding with formula milk only, and duration of breast-feeding (in months) was collected. RESULTS: There were significantly higher rates of bottle-feeding in mothers of twins and higher multiples than in mothers of singletons. Duration of breast-feeding in mothers who chose exclusive breast-feeding or mixed-feeding for twins and higher multiples was significantly shorter than those for the singletons. The feeding methods for the twins or higher multiples were not associated with prematurity or low birth weight. However, after adjusting for each associated factor using logistic regression analysis, the decision to bottle-feed was significantly associated with non-cooperation of the husband in childrearing and degree of anxiety that mothers felt when informed of a multiple pregnancy. The odds ratio indicated that mothers who received no cooperation from the husband for childrearing were 1.83 times more likely to choose bottle-feeding as those who received cooperation. Further, the odds ratio indicated that mothers who felt greater anxiety when informed of a multiple pregnancy were 1.73 times more likely to choose bottle-feeding as those who did not feel much anxiety. CONCLUSION: This study found that establishment and continuation of breast-feeding for twins, triplets and higher order multiple births are much more difficult than for singletons. Further, cooperation of the husband in childrearing and the degree of maternal anxiety when informed of a multiple pregnancy are significant factors affecting the decision to breast-feed or bottle-feed for twins, triplets or higher order multiple births.

Adult↗

The epidemiology of perinatal mortality in multiple births.

The epidemiology of perinatal mortality in multiple pregnancies was investigated from data on 16,831 multiple births from New York City's computerized vital records for 1978-1984. Twins had a sixfold higher rate of neonatal death and a threefold higher rate of fetal death during labor than had singleton infants. Much of this excess mortality can be explained by the lower birthweight distribution in twins: between 1,001 and 2,500 grams twins had birthweight-specific death rates equivalent to or substantially less than singletons. However, in infants of normal birthweights, twins had more than three times the mortality risk of singletons. For twins in vertex presentation between 1,001 and 3,000 grams, cesarean section did not appreciably reduce neonatal mortality risk. For twins in vertex presentation who weighted more than 3,000 grams the neonatal mortality rate was more than four times higher in vaginal deliveries than in cesarean sections (exact p = 0.034). Efforts to prevent intrapartum and neonatal mortality in multiple births should aim at reducing the incidence of low birthweight twins. More research is needed on the etiology of perinatal problems in normal birthweight twins (greater than or equal to 2,501 grams), especially on the effects of different modes of delivery.

Fetal Death↗

Reference birthweight range for multiple birth neonates in Japan.

BACKGROUND: A reference range for the birthweight of multiple births neonates is necessary for the assessment for intrauterine growth. METHODS: Pairs of multiple births were identified by birthplace, the ages of the parents, gestational age, and the year and month of birth. We studied a total of 32,232 livebirth-livebirth pairs of twins, 1894 triplet live births, and 206 quadruplet live births. RESULTS: The median birthweight of males, taking gestational age into account, was ca. 0.05 kg-0.1 kg heavier than that of females. Compared to singleton neonates, the median birthweight of twins was ca. 0.15 kg smaller at the gestational age of 34 weeks, increasing to ca. 0.5 kg at 42 weeks of gestation. As for birth order, the mean birthweight of the first-born twin was heavier than that of the second-born. The standard deviation of birthweight was larger for second-born twins. The birthweight of twins from multiparous mothers was greater than those from primiparous mothers. The median birthweight according to gestational age was found to be the greatest in twins, lower in triplets and the lowest in quadruplets. In triplets, the 50th percentile was 0.08 kg heavier in boys than for girls. CONCLUSION: Our results can be used for assessment of birthweight of multiple births in Japan.

Journal Article↗

Risk factors for multiple births.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To analyze risk factors for multiple births. DESIGN: A case-control study. Cases were 103 women (median age 31 years, range 20-44) who delivered multiple births not related with treatment for infertility at the 'Clinica Luigi Mangiagalli' of Milan. A total of 27 women delivered monozygotic twins and 76 dizygotic ones. Controls were 308 women (median age 30, range 17-45) admitted for normal delivery on selected days to the same clinic where cases had been identified. RESULTS: Cases tended to be less educated than controls and the relative risk of multiple pregnancy, compared with women reporting seven years of schooling or less, was 0.4 in those reporting 7-11 and 12 or more years of education. When the analysis was done separately for dizygotic and monozygotic multiple pregnancies, this relationship was restricted to dizygotic multiple pregnancies (chi 2 (1) trend for dizygotic pregnancies = 3.82, p = 0.05). A family history of multiple pregnancies was reported in 36 women (48%) with dizygotic multiple pregnancy and 13 (52%) monozygotic ones and 88 (30%) controls. The corresponding relative risks (RR) were 2.2 and 2.5 respectively for dizygotic and monozygotic pregnancies. Compared with nulliparae, the estimated RR of dizygotic multiple pregnancies was 0.5 in women reporting two or more births, but the trend in risk with number of births was not statistically significant. No relationship emerged with spontaneous or induced abortions, body mass index, oral contraceptive or IUD use, age at menarche and risk of multiple pregnancies. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms the role of familiarity in the risk of multiple pregnancies and suggests some different epidemiological characteristics in dizygotic and monozygotic multiple pregnancies.

Adolescent↗

Fetal and neonatal mortality risks of multiple births.

The purpose of this article is to describe the perinatal mortality experience and mortality-related risk factors of recent US multiple births. First, we describe trends in fetal and neonatal mortality rates for singleton and multiple births to understand if the improvements in perinatal mortality in the United States are equally or differentially reflected among multiple births. Because the characteristics of women who have multiple deliveries differ from those of mothers of singletons, we describe the risk of fetal and neonatal mortality by maternal characteristics and plurality. Finally, we examine the distribution and fetal and neonatal mortality risk of singleton and multiple births by birth weight and gestational age to provide an updated assessment and contrast of their comparative survival chances within similar birth weight-gestational age categories of intrauterine development.

Adult↗

Siblings, multiple births, and the incidence of allergic disease: a birth cohort study using the West Midlands general practice research database.

BACKGROUND: The presence of older siblings reduces the risk of developing hay fever, eczema and atopy, but findings for asthma have been inconsistent. Whether twins have a reduced risk of allergic disease is also unclear. We have investigated these questions in a birth cohort analysis of the West Midlands General Practice Research Database (GPRD). METHODS: Our birth cohort included 29,238 children. The incidence of allergic disease was examined according to the number of siblings, multiple births, and parental allergic disease and smoking habit using Cox regression. RESULTS: There was a dose related decrease in the incidence of eczema and hay fever with increasing number of older siblings (hazard ratio for children with three or more older siblings compared with none 0.70 (95% CI 0.64 to 0.76) for eczema and 0.67 (95% CI 0.52 to 0.86) for hay fever). In contrast, the presence of older siblings increased the incidence of asthma (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.29), although this effect was strongly dependent on age of diagnosis. For children diagnosed over the age of 2 years the presence of older siblings was protective (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.82), while below this age the reverse was true (HR 1.38, 95% CI 1.24 to 1.54). Members of a multiple birth had a reduced incidence of all three allergic diseases. Birth order and multiple birth effects were independent of sex, maternal age, consulting behaviour, and parental allergy and smoking habit. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of older siblings and being a member of a multiple birth appears to protect against the development of eczema, hay fever, and asthma diagnosed after the age of 2. In contrast, the presence of older siblings increases the incidence of early asthma.

Adolescent↗

Effect of multiple birth on infant mortality in Bangladesh.

AIM: Levels of infant and child mortality in many developing countries remain unacceptably high, and they are disproportionably higher among high-risk groups such as newborn and infant of multiple births, particularly in countries where advanced medical cares are available only at regional referral levels with limited access by the poor rural women and children. This study examined the relationship between high-risk infant of multiple birth and infant mortality in Bangladesh. METHODS: The analysis uses information on 7001 childbirths in 5 years preceding the 2004 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey to examine the relationship between multiple birth and infant mortality using multivariate analysis, controlling for child's sex, birth order, prenatal care, delivery assistance; mother's age at child birth, nutritional status, education level; household living conditions and several other risk factors. RESULTS: Results indicate that children born multiple birth were more than six-times as likely to die during infancy as those born singletons (hazard ratio = 6.51; 95% confidence interval: 4.10, 10.36). Controlling for all other risk factors does not change the strength and direction of the relationship (hazard ratio = 6.18; 95% confidence interval: 3.65, 10.46). Receiving prenatal care and access to safe drinking water are associated with lower risk. CONCLUSION: Multiple births are strongly negatively associated with infant survival in Bangladesh independent of other risk factors. This evidence suggests that improving maternal and child health at the community level, screening for high-risk pregnancies and making referral services for these conditions more accessible to the rural women and children will be key to improving child survival in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh↗

[Psychological consequences of multiple births].

Since the mid 1970s, the number of multiple births has dramatically increased in our country and most European countries. This paper summarizes the psychological consequences of multiple births based on a review of the literature and on our clinical experience. During pregnancy mothers experience great physical problems linked with increased medical risks for themselves and for the children. These risks cause psychological difficulties: hospitalisation and separation from the family, fear of a premature delivery and anxiety for the children. After delivery the children are often hospitalized, which makes the attachment process difficult. The mortality of multiple children is high and mourning for one child creates particular problems for parents who simultaneously face grieving and attachment processes. After hospital discharge, the overload of work mothers experience leads to physical and nervous fatigue, which does not make easier individual relationship with the children. Mothers have a high level of psychological vulnerability and an increased risk of depression. The satisfactory development of each twin or triplet child requires individualized relationship with his/her mother and his/her father. That is how he/she will be able to build his/her identity and future autonomy. It is important to be aware of the problems experienced by the families and to improve the way material help and psychological support are provided to them.

Fatigue↗

Contribution of assisted reproductive technology and ovulation-inducing drugs to triplet and higher-order multiple births--United States, 1980-1997.

In the United States, pregnancies associated with assisted reproductive technology (ART) or ovulation-inducing drugs are more likely to result in multiple births than spontaneously conceived pregnancies (1). In addition, triplet and higher-order multiple births are at greater risk than singleton births to be preterm (< or = 37 completed weeks' gestation), low birthweight (LBW) (i.e., < or = 2500 g), or very low birthweight (i.e., < 1500 g), resulting in higher infant morbidity and mortality (2). Because preterm and LBW infants often require costly neonatal care and long-term developmental follow-up, the continuing increase in triplet and higher-order multiple births causes concern among health-care providers and policymakers (3). This report provides estimates of the contribution of ART and ovulation-inducing drugs to these birth outcomes for 1996 and 1997, and summarizes trends during 1980-1997, which indicate that the ratio of triplet and higher-order multiple births has more than quadrupled and that a large proportion of this increase can be attributed to ART or the use of ovulation-inducing drugs.

Adult↗

A conservative treatment protocol with human menopausal gonadotropins aimed at reducing multiple births.

In multicenter studies involving 3002 courses of human menopausal gonadotropins (hMG) therapy in 1286 patients, 20% of the patients who delivered had multiple gestations; 75% of these were twins and 25% were triplets or higher parity. Our stimulation regimen is very conservative in that we 1) try to allow a female with LPD and regular cycles but not reaching a mature follicle to first select her dominant follicle and wait until the serum E2 reaches approximately 100 pg/mL then add the hMG. With anovulatory women we frequently begin with only 75 IU hMG and gradually increase the hMG dosage. Using this approach we have usually attained at least a 70% pregnancy rate in six months. A study was performed to see if this conservative approach resulted in a decreased multiple birth rate percentage especially with triplets or more. The study was to evaluate the outcome of 241 consecutive pregnancies in which hMG was the sole therapy. There were 203 with one gestation and 38 with multiples. Twins--32; triplets--6. Thus 15% (38/241) had multiple births; six of 38 (15%) of the multiples had triplets or more. Though our multiple birth rate and especially higher parity rate appears to be lower than average no statistical difference was found. Thus even with conservative use of hMG multiple births cannot be easily avoided.

Estradiol↗

Breast cancer risk in mothers of multiple births.

Data from an international case-control study of breast cancer that was conducted in the 1960s were used to examine whether multiple births affect the risk of breast cancer in the mother. Among 2821 parous breast-cancer patients, 88 had had one or more multiple births, whereas among 8882 controls 247 had had one or more multiple births; the logistic-regression-adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 1.21, the 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.94 to 1.55. The OR was significantly elevated during the 15-year period following the latest multiple birth (1.76; CI, 1.12 to 2.75), but declined toward the null afterwards. A late first pregnancy imparted a substantially higher breast-cancer risk when it was multiple rather than singleton; the OR was 2.34 for a multiple and 1.48 for a singleton first pregnancy when the cutoff point was 30 years, and 4.58 and 1.57, respectively, when the cutoff point was 35 years. Since multiple pregnancies are characterized by higher levels of pregnancy estrogens, the results of this study would be compatible with the hypothesis that these hormones may be responsible for the transient increase in breast-cancer risk following a term pregnancy and, in particular, a multiple term pregnancy. The long-term reduction of breast-cancer risk is probably due to a different mechanism, most likely the terminal differentiation of susceptible mammary-gland cells.

Adult↗

Developmental language impairments with complex origins: learning from twins and multiple birth children.

Various factors that make language development vulnerable in twins and multiple birth children are discussed. Researchers have investigated single explanations for language impairment in twins. However, this paper argues that in individual cases the language impairment is more often the outcome of a complex interaction of factors. Some factors play a greater part than others in some cases. It is suggested that clinicians can develop a dynamic model of language acquisition from understanding the effect of multiple birth and other exceptional circumstances on language acquisition. This model is needed to underpin investigations into individual cases of language impairment. An approach to assessment is described that identifies factors operating in individual cases of multiple birth, providing an essential precursor to implementing appropriate case-based intervention.

Birth Intervals↗

Pregnancy loss in mothers of multiple births and in mothers of singletons only.

We compared pregnancy loss in mothers of multiple births and in mothers of singletons only. The index of pregnancy loss used for purposes of the present analysis is: the ratio of total pregnancies to total maternities consisting of live births. Mothers of one set of like-sexed twins and mothers of one set of unlike-sexed twins had greater pregnancy loss than did mothers of singletons only. Women who had higher-order multiple births comprised only 5% of our sample; in terms of their pregnancy loss these women were similar to mothers of singletons only. Data on whether women ever had difficulty becoming pregnant, and the type of therapy received to aid in conception showed that mothers of twins had greater difficulty becoming pregnant than did mothers of singletons. Among women with difficulty becoming pregnant, pregnancy loss was greater than among those who reported no difficulty. In our sample, 4.3% of mothers of multiple births and 3.4% of mothers of singletons only received hormonal therapy, some of which included FSH or clomiphene citrate.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗