Birthweight discordance in multiple pregnancy. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • This paper reviews several aspects of discordant growth in multiple pregnancies. Discordant growth is not a chance event and therefore several patterns can be discerned. About 75% of twins exhibit < 15% discordance (concordant), 20% are 15-25% (mildly) discordant, and about 5% are more than 25% (severely) discordant. Higher frequencies and increased severity are seen among triplets. Five observations regarding discordance became generally accepted: (a) not all discordant pairs are similar; (b) the larger the discordance level the greater is the risk for an adverse outcome; (c) discordant growth does not necessarily represent growth restriction; (d) a discordance level may have a different clinical implication in different gestational ages; and (e) the smaller fetuses in severely discordant pairs are at disproportionate risk for neonatal mortality. Mild discordance may represent a normal variation between sibs whereas severely discordant pairs often exhibit patterns of growth restriction. Not infrequently, discordance may represent an adaptation to the limited intrauterine space in order to increase gestational age.

publication date

  • December 1, 2003

Research

keywords

  • Birth Weight
  • Multiple Birth Offspring

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0346733167

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1375/136905203322686536

PubMed ID

  • 14965464

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 6

issue

  • 6