Birth Weight Reference Percentiles by Gestational Age for Turkish Twin Neonates

Area of Science:

• Neonatology
• Perinatology
• Pediatric Growth Standards

Background:

• Current clinical practice often misapplies singleton birth weight percentiles to evaluate twin neonates.
• Twins exhibit distinct growth trajectories necessitating unique reference standards.
• Turkey currently lacks established gestational age-specific birth weight references for twins.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish gestational age-specific birth weight reference curves for both female and male Turkish twins.
• To provide clinicians with appropriate tools for assessing twin birth weight in Turkey.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, multi-centered study involving 2544 live-born twins (2010-2019).
• Data collected included gestational age, birth weight, gender, and other relevant neonatal and maternal factors.
• Statistical methods were used to construct smoothed reference curves and percentile tables.

Main Results:

• Gestational age-specific birth weight reference curves and percentile tables (3rd, 10th, 50th, 90th, 97th) were created for male and female Turkish twins from 26 to 39 weeks.
• Neonatal and infant mortality rates within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) were recorded as 12/1000 and 16/1000, respectively.

Conclusions:

• Twin-specific birth weight nomograms are valuable for identifying high-risk twin neonates requiring specialized medical attention.
• Further large-scale studies are essential for validating these nomograms for widespread clinical application.