MULTIPLE PREGNANCY Flashcards
What is the incidence of twin pregnancy?
1 in 80 pregnancies
What is the incidence of spontaneous triplets?
1 in 6400 pregnancies
What factors increase the likelihood of having a multiple pregnancy?
Increasing maternal age
Increasing parity
More common in African
Improved nutrition
Assisted conception
How and when are multiple pregnancies usually diagnosed?
Routine dating ultrasound scan at 11-14 weeks
What percentage of twins are dizygotic?
75%
What is the most important clinical issue to work out on discovery of twins?
The chorionicity of the pregnancy
What is chorionicity?
How many placenta there are for the twins - ie whether they are sharing or not.
What is the risk of monochorionic twins?
Unequal distribution of blood leading to growth restriction of one twin and macrosomia in the other
Are monochorionic twins always monozygotic?
Yes.
Are monozygotic twins always monochorionic?
No. It depends at what stage in cell replication the split occurs.
1/3 happen in the 8 cell stage and these twins will be dichorionic, like dizygotic twins.
2/3 happen days 3-8 and are therefore monochorionic but diamniotic, as the inner mass splits to form two seperate membranes.
A small proportion happen between days 8-13 and are therefore monochorionic monoamniotic.
Are most triplets monozygotic or trizygotic?
Neither. Most triplets come from originally two fertilised ova, where one of them splits to form monozygotic twins.
How do work out the chorionicity antenatally?
USS before 16 weeks gestation
What is the name of the sign seen on USS in dichorionic twins?
Lambda
What is the name of the sign seen on USS in monochorionic diamniotic twins?
T sign
How might you work out the zygosity of twins on USS?
Chorionicity
Different sexs