Successful Pregnancy and Delivery after Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction in A Woman with Monochorionic Triplet Pregnancy Following Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection and the Transfer of Frozen-thawed Embryos

This was the first report of multifetal pregnancy reduction （MFPR） with mono- chorionic triplet pregnancy following ICSI and the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos. A 30-year-old woman who had undergone ICSI and the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos subsequently developed monochorionic triplet pregnancy. She did a multifetal pregnancy reduction to remove one embryo limb from the fetal sac and remained a singleton pregnancy after pregnancy reduction. At last she delivered a healthy baby girl at 40 weeks of gestation. In conclusions, an early stage fetal reduction, selection of the appropriate reduction week, and the expertise of a highly experienced doctor using ultrasound can ensure a wonderful pregnancy outcome in monozygotic multiple pregnancies.

Discordance for fetal anencephaly in a dichorionic twin pregnancy: A case report

Anencephaly is a frequent and easily diagnosed condition affecting twin pregnancies with higher incidence than singletons. Discordance for anencephaly in twins raises management dilemmas about the best approach to the situation. The authors report a successful case of a 33 years old woman who had a dichorionic twin pregnancy resulting from ICSI, with discordance for anencephaly. Diagnosis was performed at 13 weeks during first trimester ultrasound screening. A selective feticide with intrathoracic injection of KCl at 13 + 2 weeks was performed with no complications. The normal fetus proceeded with an uneventful pregnancy with spontaneous vaginal delivery at 40 weeks, weighting 3110 g. Management of twin pregnancies discordant for fetal anencephaly is far from being consensual. Two options are considered: selective feticide or expectant management, with serial ultrasound surveillance. In the latter option, amniodrainage or selective feticide may become options if polyhydramnios develops later in pregnancy. Therapeutic strategy requires an individual approach considering chorionicity, gestational age and all the risks of miscarriage, preterm labor and fetal demise to which these pregnancies are particularly exposed.

Maternal weight,blood lipids,and the offspring weight trajectories during infancy and early childhood in twin pregnancies

Background The intrauterine environment has a profound and long-lasting influence on the health of the offspring.However,its impact on the postnatal catch-up growth of twin children remains unclarified.Therefore,this study aimed to explore the maternal factors in pregnancy associated with twin offspring growth.Methods This study included 3142 live twin children born to 1571 mothers from the Beijing Birth Cohort Study conducted from 2016 to 2021 in Beijing,China.Original and corrected weight-for-age standard deviation scores of the twin offspring from birth to 36 months of age were calculated according to the World Health Organization Child Growth Standards.The corresponding weight trajectories were identified by the latent trajectory model.Maternal factors in pregnancy associated with the weight trajectories of the twin offspring were examined after adjustment for potential confounders.Results Five weight trajectories of the twin children were identified,with 4.9%(154/3142)exhibiting insufficient catch-up growth,30.6%(961/3142),and 46.8%(1469/3142)showing adequate catch-up growth from different birth weights,and 15.0%(472/3142)and 2.7%(86/3142)showing various degrees of excessive catch-up growth.Maternal short stature[adjusted odds ratio(OR)=0.691,95%confidence interval(CI)=0.563–0.848,P=0.0004]and lower total gestational weight gain(GWG)(adjusted OR=0.774,95%CI=0.616–0.972,P=0.03)were associated with insufficient catch-up growth of the offspring.Maternal stature(adjusted OR=1.331,95%CI=1.168–1.518,P<0.001),higher pre-pregnancy body mass index(BMI)(adjusted OR=1.230,95%CI=1.090–1.387,P<0.001),total GWG(adjusted OR=1.207,95%CI=1.068–1.364,P=0.002),GWG rate(adjusted OR=1.165,95%CI=1.027–1.321,P=0.02),total cholesterol(TC)(adjusted OR=1.150,95%CI=1.018–1.300,P=0.03)and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol(LDL-C)(adjusted OR=1.177,95%CI=1.041–1.330)in early pregnancy were associated with excessive growth of the offspring.The pattern of weight trajectories was similar between monochorionic and dichorionic twins.Maternal height,pre-pregnancy BMI,GWG,TC and LDL-C in early pregnancy were positively associated with excess growth in dichorionic twins,yet a similar association was observed only between maternal height and postnatal growth in monochorionic twins.Conclusion This study identified the effect of maternal stature,weight status,and blood lipid profiles during pregnancy on postnatal weight trajectories of the twin offspring,thereby providing a basis for twin pregnancy management to improve the long-term health of the offspring.

Application of fetoscopy in the management of monochorionic multiple pregnancies

The complications of monochorionic （MC） multiple pregnancies include twin-reversed arterial perfusion（TRAP） and twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome （TTTS）. Currently, the most effective treatment for stages Ⅱ,Ⅲ, and Ⅳ TTTS is generally considered to be fetoscopic laser occlusion of chorioangiopagous vessels （FLOC）.3 MC twins who are severely discordant for growth or demonstrate anomalies may undergo selective reduction by means of a variety of different techniques.4 Radiofrequency ablation （RFA） of an acardiac twin has also proved to be an effective method of improving survival of the pump twin in the TRAP. Therefore, care for these complex pregnancies is ideally a coordinated multidisciplinary effort between perinatology, pediatric/fetal surgery, pediatric neurology, radiology/ ultrasound, genetics, social services, neonatology, and labor and delivery.

Fetal reduction by bipolar cord coagulation in managing complicated monochorionic multiple pregnancies： preliminary experience in China

Background Monochorionic multiple pregnancies （MMPs） are associated with higher rates of perinatal morbidity and mortality caused by interfetal vascular anastomoses in the monochorionic placenta, which can lead to fetal health interactions. In some circumstances, selective feticide of the affected fetus is necessary to save the healthy co-twin. We evaluated the effects and safety of our initial experiences using bipolar cord coagulation for the management of complicated MMPs. Methods Using ultrasound-guided bipolar cord coagulation, we performed selective feticide on 14 complicated MMPs （5 with twin-twin transfusion syndrome, 4 with acardia, 3 with discordant structural anomalies, and 2 with severe selective intrauterine growth restriction）. One patient with monochorionic triplets received the procedure twice to terminate 2 affected fetuses for different JndJcatJons. Data regarding the operations, complications and neonatal outcomes were analyzed. Results Cord occlusions were successfully performed in 13/14 （93%） cases. The failure happened in an acardiac fetus and the pregnancy was terminated by induction. The included cases delivered at a mean gestational age of 35.4 weeks with a perinatal survival rate of 11/13 （85%）. Three operation-related complications occurred （21%）, including membrane rupture of the terminated sac （1 case）, preterm labor at 28 weeks gestation （1 case）, and chorioamniotic membrane separation （1 case）. Amnioinfusion was indicated in 11 procedures to expand the target sacs for entering the trocar and obtaining sufficient working space. However, in all 4 cases of acardia, the acardiac sacs showed extreme oligohydramnios and could not be well expanded by infusion; thus, the trocar had to be inserted from the sac of the preserved co-twin. Conclusions The application of bipolar cord coagulation in complicated MMPs is safe and improves the prognosis. Amnioinfusion is useful in helping to expand the target sac when the working space is limited.