Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Twin pregnancy is a high-risk pregnancy with different prevalences in different regions of the world which is on the rise due to growing use of assisted reproductive technology. The objective of this study is to determine the frequency of twin pregnancy and the neonatal outcome of these pregnancies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a descriptive-analytic study conducted in 2004-2007 in Mo'tazedi Hospital, Kermanshah on 142 twin deliveries as well as the singleton deliveries before and after twin pregnancy as the control group. The required information, including maternal age, gestational age, newborn's gender, presentation of twins, birth weight, Apgar score, fetal anomalies, and neonatal mortality were extracted from medical files and analyzed statistically. FINDINGS: After assessment of 29,438 deliveries performed from 2004 to 2007, the frequency of twin pregnancy was found out to be 1 in 208 cases (48 %). The mean age of mothers was higher in twin pregnancies. The mean gestational age of twin pregnancy was 34.3 weeks. Apgar score and neonatal weight were significantly lower in twin pregnancy compared to singleton pregnancy (p < 0.001). Furthermore, visible anomalies and mortality were significantly higher in neonates born to twin pregnancies compared to singleton pregnancies (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.009, respectively). The ratio of male to female neonates was 1. CONCLUSION: This study indicated that twin pregnancy is a high-risk condition and entails greater neonatal complications compared to singleton pregnancy. Therefore, it is recommendable to have greater perinatal care and perform deliveries in well-equipped centers under supervision of an obstetrician.