Do late preterm twins face an increased neonatal morbidity compared with singletons?

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Perinatology
• Twin Studies

Background:

• Late preterm infants (34-36 weeks gestation) exhibit higher morbidity than term infants.
• Multiple pregnancies (twins) are associated with increased neonatal morbidity compared to singletons.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if late preterm twins have doubled neonatal morbidity due to combined risk factors of prematurity and multiple birth.
• To compare neonatal outcomes between late preterm singletons, late preterm twins, and term twins.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective single-centre study.
• Inclusion of 845 infants: late preterm singletons, late preterm twins, and term twins.
• Primary outcome: length of hospitalization; Secondary outcome: neonatal morbidity.

Main Results:

• Late preterm twins had significantly longer hospitalizations than term twins and late preterm singletons.
• Hyperbilirubinemia was more frequent in late preterm singletons than late preterm twins.
• No significant differences in other neonatal morbidities or mortality between late preterm singletons and twins, but late preterm twins had higher incidence of most morbidities than term twins.

Conclusions:

• Late preterm twins require longer hospitalization than late preterm singletons but have comparable neonatal morbidities.
• Late preterm twins exhibit a lower incidence of hyperbilirubinemia than late preterm singletons.