[Twin pregnancies in maternity wards in Cakovec, Sisak and Sibenik in 1998]

This study shows the frequency of twin births in maternity wards where a pilot study of the use of child health cards was undertaken during 1998 (Cakovec, Sisak, Sibenik), the months in the year when twin births are more common, their characteristics in terms of the mother's age and parity, gestational age and the sex of the twins. In the three maternity wards mentioned, 3.582 children were born in 1998, of which 38 births were of twins, which is an average of 1.03%. There is no statistically significant difference between the three hospitals in terms of the frequency of twin births (p > 0.05). The most twins were born in May (23.6%). The average age of the mothers who gave birth to twins was 29.5 +/- 10.8 years. In terms of parity, twins were most often (in 55.3% cases) born to women who had already had 2 to 4 babies. In terms of the gestational age of twins, 20 pairs of twins (52.6%) were born at term, 18 pairs (47.4%) were born prematurely, 39 boys were born (51.3%), and 37 girls (48.7%), that is 13 pairs of boy twins, 13 pairs of girl-boy twins and 12 pairs of girls twins. The authors consider that the child health card, along with all its uses relating to the monitoring of the growth and development of children, may also serve in the monitoring of perinatal factors of twin pregnancies.