Elective delivery of twins at 37 weeks gestation decreases infant complications

Commentary on: Dodd J, Crowther C, Haslam R, et al., for the Twins Timing of Birth Trial Group. Elective birth at 37 weeks of gestation versus standard care for women with an uncomplicated twin pregnancy at term: the Twins Timing of Birth Randomised Trial. BJOG 2012; 119: 964– 74.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3] In singleton pregnancies, offering elective delivery at or beyond term (40 weeks gestation) reduces perinatal mortality.1 ,2 Epidemiological data suggest that in twin pregnancies ‘term’ may be earlier than in singletons. Morbidity and mortality in twin pregnancies is the lowest in association with delivery at 36–38 weeks gestation, leading the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to endorse elective delivery around 37 weeks for dichorionic twins and 36 weeks for monochorionic twins.3 Data from randomised trials evaluating such a policy is lacking. Dodd and colleagues report the results of a randomised controlled trial of elective delivery … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBJOG%2B%253A%2B%2Ban%2Binternational%2Bjournal%2Bof%2Bobstetrics%2Band%2Bgynaecology%26rft.stitle%253DBJOG%26rft.aulast%253DDodd%26rft.auinit1%253DJ.%26rft.volume%253D119%26rft.issue%253D8%26rft.spage%253D964%26rft.epage%253D973%26rft.atitle%253DElective%2Bbirth%2Bat%2B37%2Bweeks%2Bof%2Bgestation%2Bversus%2Bstandard%2Bcare%2Bfor%2Bwomen%2Bwith%2Ban%2Buncomplicated%2Btwin%2Bpregnancy%2Bat%2Bterm%253A%2Bthe%2BTwins%2BTiming%2Bof%2BBirth%2BRandomised%2BTrial.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1111%252Fj.1471-0528.2012.03356.x%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F22691051%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03356.x&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=22691051&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F18%2F3%2Fe21.atom