Twins and Preterm Birth

Title

Twins and Preterm Birth

Creator

Bhotla, Haripriya Kuchi; Balamuralikrishnan, Dhanalakshmi; Meyyazhagan, Arun; Tosto, Valentina; Di Renzo, Gian Carlo

Description

About 3.2% of live births comprise twins, and 20% account for preterm labor, with delivery of twins before 37 and 32weeks of gestation approximately 60% and 10.7%. About five times elevated risk of initial neonatal and infant mortality is noted in the case of twin pregnancy in preterm parturition cases. Both spontaneous and indicated preterm labor is observed more in monochorionic twins than in dichorionic twins. Prediction and diagnosis of preterm labor is effectively done using transvaginal ultrasound to compute the length of the cervix before 24weeks without any risk. Vaginal administration of progesterone in women with less than 25 mm cervical length is beneficial to prevent preterm and neonatal obstacles in twin pregnancies. Physical evaluation showed women undergoing cerclage surgery, when cervical dilation is greater than 1cm, have lowered the risk of perinatal death and preterm labor at varied gestational stages. In a few studies, twin delivery is not directly associated with preterm and related complications. However, pregnancies weighing less than 1000g are associated with major disability around year 1 compared to singleton preterm. All these considerations are crucial in order to optimize the antenatal management of this group of pregnancies destinated to show an increasing trend. The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.

Source

Twins Lifelong Health: From Prenatal to Adult Life;pp.101-115

Date

01-01-2026

Publisher

Springer Nature

Subject

Cerclage; Cervical length; Preterm birth; Progesterone; Twin pregnancy

Coverage

Bhotla H.K., Laboratory of Natural Products and Medicinal Chemistry (LNPMC), Centre for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Thandalam, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, India; Balamuralikrishnan D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Nursing, Keerrai Thamil Selvan College of Nursing (Affiliated To: Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University), Tamil Nadu, Pudukkottai, India; Meyyazhagan A., Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Karnataka, Bengaluru, India; Tosto V., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Giannina Gaslini Childrens Hospital, Genoa, Italy; Di Renzo G.C., PREIS International School, Florence, Italy, London, GLOWM, United Kingdom

Rights

Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library

Relation

ISBN: 978-303209464-3; 978-303209463-6;

Format

online

Language

English

Type

Book chapter

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-09464-3_8

https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105032524049?origin=resultslist