Developmental outcome of very low birth weight twins conceived by assisted reproduction techniques

To evaluate the differences in developmental outcomes between very low birth weight twins conceived by assisted reproduction techniques and those conceived spontaneously.

Twenty-two sets of very low birth weight twins were evaluated by the Kyoto Scale for Psychological Development at 36 months of corrected age. Total developmental quotient and developmental quotient (DQ) for three subscales, posture-motor, cognition-adaptation and language-social, were evaluated.

Twins conceived with medical assistance demonstrated a higher incidence of total DQ below 85 with lower DQ for cognition-adaptation and language-social skills than spontaneously conceived twins, whereas the quotient for posture-motor skills in medically assisted twins was comparable to that of spontaneously conceived twins.

At 3 years of age very low birth weight twins conceived by assisted reproduction techniques demonstrated lower cognitive and language skills than twins conceived naturally.