THE RISKS OF BEING A PRETERM TWIN

Aim: Twins may have additional clinical problems compared to singletons, but there is insufficient information about whether preterm twins (especially those born before 32 weeks of gestation) are at greater risk than singletons. This study aimed to compare morbidity and mortality in twins and singletons born before 32 weeks of gestation. Materials and Methods: Infants with a gestational age (GA) < 32 weeks who were followed in our unit between July 2019 and December 2020 were examined retrospectively. The demographic and clinical characteristics of the infants were recorded and compared between twins and singletons. Results: A total of 770 preterm infants were included in the study, 584 singletons and 186 twins. The singleton group had higher rates of maternal hypertension and small for GA status, while the rate of cesarean delivery was higher in the twins group (p<0.05). Other demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes were similar in the singleton and twin groups (p<0.05). Conclusion: Preterm morbidity and mortality were similar in the twin and singleton groups in this study. This can be attributed to the similar GA and birth weight (BW) in both groups. Therefore, our results suggest that the main determinants of mortality and morbidity in preterm infants are GA and BW rather than twin pregnancy.