Achievement of a 136-day delayed-interval delivery of a second twin with minimum intervention

Abstract

The rate of multiple pregnancies in the past three decades has increased dramatically. Twin pregnancies have a higher risk of pregnancy loss owing to premature birth. Although the premature delivery of the first twin is usually followed by spontaneous birth of the second twin, there are ways to delay the delivery of the second twin to enhance survival and neonatal outcomes. However, there is insufficient evidence to support the role of any interventions such as cerclage, hospitalization, tocolytics, and/or antibiotics. As a result, the management of delayed interval for the delivery of the second twin varies depending on each case. The purpose of this study was to report the obstetric components of a successful delayed-interval delivery, with an emphasis on the current conflicts around the active management of the delayed interval delivery of the second twin. A case of a 40-year-old, G5P4, woman who had three cesarean sections is presented. She got pregnant with a dichorionic diamniotic twin. At 17 weeks of gestation, she developed sudden severe lower abdominal pain, vaginal bleeding, and spontaneous expulsion of the first fetus weighing 179 g. After delivery of the first twin, the vaginal bleeding became minimal, and the cervix was reconstituted soon, so cervical cerclage was not offered. The umbilical cord of the first fetus was cut at the level of the external cervical os, and the placenta was retained. She received intravenous fluids, anti-D prophylaxis, paracetamol, and antibiotics. The patient was keen to continue with the pregnancy and was informed about the risks and benefits. The management was mainly an outpatient basis after an initial short hospital stay of 6 days before being discharged (upon her request); during the follow-up, she did not develop any clinical manifestations of maternal infection. She was subjected to ANC at the outpatient clinic every 2 weeks, where vaginal culture, complete blood count, prothrombin time, and C-reactive protein levels and serial ultrasonography were checked consistently. The fetus showed adequate growth. After 136 days, she delivered by elective cesarean section a male baby weighing 2850 g at 37 weeks of gestation with good recovery. In certain situations, delayed delivery of the second twin of diamniotic dichorionic twin pregnancy may be a safe, simple with less interventions, and effective option to improve pregnancy outcome.