Triplet pregnancy as seen in the Jos University Teaching Hospital

Triplet pregnancies are high-risk pregnancies and fortunately the prevalence is low. They are associated with high perinatal morbidity and mortality.

All the records of the 16 triplet pregnancies managed in Jos University Teaching Hospital, North Central Nigeria, were retrieved and analysed.

There were a total of 41,159 deliveries and 16 triplet pregnancies giving a prevalence of 1 triplet pregnancy in 2,572 deliveries. Over 60% of the mothers were above the age of 24 years, and about 94% were multipara. The female to male sex ratio was 1:0.85, that is, 1 female in 0.85 males. The pre-term delivery rate was 68.7% of the total triplet pregnancies. Booked patients had better foetal and maternal outcome compared with unbooked patients. Most (81.3%) of the women were allowed vaginal delivery. There was no significant difference between the average Apgar scores of babies delivered by caesarean section and vaginal delivery. All the patients had postpartum haemorrhage (a blood loss of 500 ml and above), but none of them required blood transfusion.

Triplet pregnancies are not managed often in Jos University Teaching Hospital probably because they do not occur commonly on the Jos Plateau, Nigeria.