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Breech births in twin pregnancy: An analysis of Apgar score and perinatal mortality from a Nigerian sample
Author(s) -
Fakeye O.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/0020-7292(88)90081-1
Subject(s) - medicine , breech presentation , obstetrics , apgar score , breech delivery , asphyxia , twin pregnancy , perinatal mortality , birth weight , pregnancy , fetus , genetics , biology
Perinatal mortality (PNM) rates are reported for 146 twin‐1 and 192 twin‐2 breech births among 622 consecutive twin pairs delivered at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria. Stillbirths and infants with severe asphyxia (Apgar score 1–3) were recorded in significant proportions of both first and second twin breech infants. PNM rates were 13.7% twin‐1, 18.8% twin‐2; corrected PNM for infants weighing 2.0 kg or more, were 9.3% and 12.4% for twin‐1 and twin‐2, respectively. Twin specific breech PNM decreased with increasing birthweight of first and second twin to a low optimum in the weight group 2.5–2.9 kg, and thereafter rose for both first and second twin with birthweight 3.0 kg and above. Factors such as low birthweight, breech/breech presentation, breech extraction and retained second twin breech contributed significantly to the high PNM rates. More favorable PNM rates were recorded among a limited number of breech infants delivered by primary cesarean section for breech/breech or first twin breech presentations. A liberal approach to cesarean section delivery for breech twin births, and particularly for paired breech/breech presentation is strongly advocated.