"Reassuring" Data on Neonatal Outcomes of Triplets
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A large retrospective study provides reassuring data on neonatal outcomes of very preterm and very low birth weight triplets.
"Our results identified that, when matched by country of birth, gestational age and sex, the outcomes of preterm triplets were similar to those of singletons, meaning that their risk of mortality and illnesses common to preterm neonates are similar," Dr. Prakesh Shah of Mount Sinai Hospital, part of Sinai Health System, in Toronto, Canada, told Reuters Health by email.
"The literature on this topic of outcome of triplets vs. singletons is marred by small, single-center studies and some showing that the outcomes are worse and some showing they are similar," Dr. Shah explained.
He and his colleagues compared neonatal outcomes of more than 6,000 triplets born between 24 to 32 weeks' gestation or weighing 500 to 1,499 g at birth with that of three times as many singletons from 11 high-income countries.
"This is the largest set of premature triplets studied in the world," Dr. Shah said.
The results showed no difference in the primary outcome (a composite of mortality or severe neonatal morbidity (severe neurologic injury, treated retinopathy of prematurity, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia) between triplets and singletons (23.4% vs. 24.0%).
The odds ratio was 0.91 in a model adjusted for maternal hypertension and birth weight z-score and 1.00 in a model adjusted for these factors plus cesarean birth and antenatal steroid use.
There were also no significant between-group differences in rates of severe neonatal morbidities. The results were also similar for a subsample of 1,648 triplets and 4,944 matched singletons born at 24 to 28 weeks' gestation.
"Our findings from a large cohort of neonates can be used to provide reassuring results for families and care providers that although triplets do incur strain to already resource-limited neonatal units, their outcomes are similar to those of singletons," the authors conclude.
The study had no commercial funding and the authors have declared no relevant conflicts of interest.
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2R3jJOv
Pediatrics 2018.
