A three year review of twin deliveries in a specialist hospital in North-Western Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Although the frequency of twin pregnancies varies from one ethnic group to another, there has been a general trend toward an increase recently. Maternal and perinatal mortality are higher in twin than singleton pregnancies. Most studies on twinning had been done in university teaching hospitals where conditions are different from what is seen in secondary-care health institutions where this study was done Objectives: To determine the incidence, mode of delivery and maternal and perinatal outcomes of twin deliveries at a secondary-level hospital in North-Western Nigeria. Methodology: This was a descriptive study of 96 twin deliveries over a three-year period between May 2013 and April 2016 at a secondary-level hospital with access to specialist obstetricians and paediatricians. Result: There were 4,567 deliveries, with 101 twin deliveries, an incidence of 2.2% or 1 in 45 deliveries. The mean maternal age and parity were 26.4 years and 3.2 respectively. The mean gestational age at delivery was 35.9 weeks, with a mean birth weight of 2.18kg and 2.01kg for the first and second twins respectively. Male twins constituted 53.2% of twin births. The common presentations of the twins were cephalic–cephalic (64.6%), cephalic–breech (16.7%) and breech–breech (6.3%). Mode of deliveries were vertex vaginal (77.1%) and caesarean (14.6%). Breech presentation of the leading twin was the commonest indication for caesarean section (57.1%). Anaemia in pregnancy (16.7%) was the commonest maternal complication, while prematurity was the leading cause of perinatal mortality. Conclusion: Preterm delivery, malpresentation, operative delivery and maternal anaemia in pregnancy were commonly seen in association with twin pregnancy in this cohort of patients.