Comparison of Clinical Characteristics of Preterm Twins: In Vitro Fertilized versus Spontaneous Conceived.

Kim,  Ah Young; Um,  Tae Min; Park,  Kyung Hee; Byun,  Shin Yun; Park,  Jae Hong; Lee,  Dong Hung

doi:2013.20.1.129

Neonatal Med > Volume 20(1); 2013 > Article

Original Article

Neonatal Medicine 2013;20(1):129-136.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5385/nm.2013.20.1.129 Published online March 8, 2013.

Comparison of Clinical Characteristics of Preterm Twins: In Vitro Fertilized versus Spontaneous Conceived.

Ah Young Kim, Tae Min Um, Kyung Hee Park, Shin Yun Byun, Jae Hong Park, Dong Hung Lee

¹Department of Pediatrics, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea. byun410@hanmail.net
²Department of Obsteric and Gynecology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea.

Abstract

PURPOSE
With in vitro fertilization (IVF) becoming a common treatment for infertility, there has been an increasing number of studies on perinatal complications related to IVF. This study compares the clinical characteristics of twins at gestational age less than 34 weeks, between IVF and spontaneous conceived.
METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 138 preterm twins at gestational age less than 34 weeks, admitted between January 2009 and December 2011 to the neonatal intensive care units of two hospitals. Maternal and preterm infant's clinical characteristics of 58 IVF and 80 spontaneous conceived twins were compared.
RESULTS
Maternal age was older in IVF twins (33.3+/-2.8 vs. 31.3+/-4.2, P-value=0.007), and there was no other significant difference between the two maternal groups. Gestational age was lesser in IVF twins (30.6+/-3.2 vs. 31.2+/-2.7, P-value=0.048). Age at the day of full enteral feeding (24.2+/-12.1 vs. 18.2+/-13.2, P-value<0.001) and age at day of full oral feeding (30.1+/-18.5 vs. 25.3+/-19.2, P-value<0.001) were significantly longer in IVF twins as adjusted by gestational age. Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) showed higher incidence in IVF twins (P-value=0.011), but there was no significant difference between the two groups after adjusting gestational age.
CONCLUSION
The clinical characteristics in IVF twins at gestational age less than 34 weeks were not significantly different from those of spontaneously conceived twins except age at the day of full enteral feeding and age at the day of full oral feeding after adjusting by gestational age.

Key Words: Newborn; Seizures; Outcome; Risk factor