Obstetrical complications associated with first‐trimester screening markers in twin pregnancies

Abstract

AIM: The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the relation between perinatal complications in twin pregnancies and the combination of first-trimester maternal serum pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and free beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-hCG) levels. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted at the Perinatology Department of Baskent University between January 2005 and December 2011. In total, 104 patients with twin pregnancies were recruited. The association of first-trimester maternal serum-screening markers with perinatal complications was investigated for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), preterm delivery (before 34 weeks of gestation), pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), and growth discordance between fetuses. RESULTS: Low serum PAPP-A (below 10th percentile) levels were not correlated with preterm labor, PIH, or IUGR in twin gestations. Elevated free β-hCG levels (>90th percentile) were linked to increased rates of PIH and small-for-gestational-age fetuses or IUGR. CONCLUSION: Elevated first-trimester free β-hCG was related to adverse pregnancy outcomes in twin pregnancies, whereas low PAPP-A levels were not linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes.