Risk of birth defects increased in multiple births

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Pediatrics
• Public Health

Background:

• Previous research has yielded inconsistent findings regarding the association between multiple births and congenital anomalies.
• Understanding risk factors for birth defects is crucial for improving infant health outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between multiple births and the risk of birth defects.
• To compare the rates and characteristics of birth defects in multiple versus singleton pregnancies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Zhejiang Hospital-Based Birth Defects Surveillance System (2007-2009).
• Analyzed data from 545,018 pregnancies, including singleton and multiple gestations (twins and triplets).
• Calculated odds ratios (OR) and confidence intervals (CI) to assess the risk of birth defects.

Main Results:

• Multiple births had a significantly higher rate of birth defects (444.16 per 10,000) compared to singletons (266.97 per 10,000), with an OR of 1.69.
• Increased risk observed in 9 of 23 birth defect categories for multiple births.
• Multiple births with defects were delivered earlier and had lower birth weights; they also had a higher proportion of live births and early neonatal deaths.

Conclusions:

• Confirmed an increased risk of birth defects in multiple births compared to singletons.
• Findings underscore the importance of targeted surveillance and care for multiple gestations.