Flashcards in MULTIPLE PREGNANCY Deck (39)
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1
What is the incidence of twin pregnancy?
1 in 80 pregnancies
2
What is the incidence of spontaneous triplets?
1 in 6400 pregnancies
3
What factors increase the likelihood of having a multiple pregnancy?
Increasing maternal age
Increasing parity
More common in African
Improved nutrition
Assisted conception
4
How and when are multiple pregnancies usually diagnosed?
Routine dating ultrasound scan at 11-14 weeks
5
What percentage of twins are dizygotic?
75%
6
What is the most important clinical issue to work out on discovery of twins?
The chorionicity of the pregnancy
7
What is chorionicity?
How many placenta there are for the twins - ie whether they are sharing or not.
8
What is the risk of monochorionic twins?
Unequal distribution of blood leading to growth restriction of one twin and macrosomia in the other
9
Are monochorionic twins always monozygotic?
Yes.
10
Are monozygotic twins always monochorionic?
No. It depends at what stage in cell replication the split occurs.
1/3 happen in the 8 cell stage and these twins will be dichorionic, like dizygotic twins.
2/3 happen days 3-8 and are therefore monochorionic but diamniotic, as the inner mass splits to form two seperate membranes.
A small proportion happen between days 8-13 and are therefore monochorionic monoamniotic.
11
Are most triplets monozygotic or trizygotic?
Neither. Most triplets come from originally two fertilised ova, where one of them splits to form monozygotic twins.
12
How do work out the chorionicity antenatally?
USS before 16 weeks gestation
13
What is the name of the sign seen on USS in dichorionic twins?
Lambda
14
What is the name of the sign seen on USS in monochorionic diamniotic twins?
T sign
15
How might you work out the zygosity of twins on USS?
Chorionicity
Different sexs
16
What are the risks and complications of multiple pregnancies?
Increased risk of any complication associated with singleton pregnancy - gestational diabetes; pre-eclampsia or pregnancy induced hypertension
Increased chance of fetal malformation
Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)
Preterm labour
Increased chance of antepartum haemorrhage (placenta abruption and praevia)
Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome
Increased chance of postpartum haemorrhage
Locked twins
17
What is the problem of finding fetal abnormalities in only one of the two twins?
Selective fetocide can result in the miscarriage of the apparently normal fetus as well as the abnormal one.
18
How should antenatal care be increased in mothers with multiple pregnancy?
Serial USS every 2 to 4 weeks to exclude IUGR - especially important with monochorionic placentation.
19
In what proportion of multiple pregnancies does preterm labour occur?
30%
20
What can be used as a screening tool to work out likelihood of preterm labour in a woman with multiple pregnancy?
Cervical length screening by transvaginal ultrasound
21
How might preterm labour be prevented in higher order multiple pregnancies?
Elective cervical suture at the start of the second trimester
22
How do you manage a woman with multiple pregnancy who goes into preterm labour?
Tocolytics to allow time for steroids to be given to improve lung maturation.
23
How much more common is pregnancy related hypertension in multiple pregnant women than singleton women?
3 times
24
Why is pregnancy-induced hypertension so much more common in multiple pregnancy?
Larger size of the placental bed
25
What is twin-to-twin syndrome?
Blood is shunted across fetal vascular anastomoses, such that the donor becomes anaemic and growth restricted, with oligohydramnios and the recipient becomes fluid overloaded with polyhydramnios.
26
What is the incidence of twin-to-twin syndrome in monochorionic diamniotic twins?
15%
27
When does twin-to-twin syndrome usually occur?
In the second trimester
28
What is the risk of fetal death in untreated twin-to-twin syndrome?
80%
29
What is the risk of handicap in the surviving twin in twin-to-twin syndrome?
10%
30
