Intrauterine growth charts for twin fetuses

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Neonatal Medicine
• Perinatology

Background:

• Accurate fetal growth assessment is crucial for identifying potential complications.
• Existing growth charts primarily focus on singleton pregnancies, limiting their utility for twin gestations.
• Small-for-date infants, whether singletons or twins, are at increased risk for adverse outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish comprehensive biometric reference curves for twin pregnancies.
• To provide tools for the early detection of small-for-date twins.
• To compare twin growth trajectories with those of singleton pregnancies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a large French database of twin pregnancies.
• Developed centile curves for birth weight and height specific to twins.
• Analyzed growth parameter evolution in relation to gestational age.

Main Results:

• Biometric reference curves for twin birth weight and height were generated.
• A significant decrease in growth parameter evolution was observed in twins compared to singletons.
• This divergence in growth was detectable as early as the 30th week of gestation.

Conclusions:

• The developed twin-specific growth curves are valuable for prenatal assessment.
• Early identification of growth-restricted twins is facilitated by these new references.
• These findings highlight the distinct growth patterns of twins requiring specialized monitoring.