Study Explores Diabetes in Women Pregnant with Twins

A new study explores whether or not diabetes is less likely to be associated with unfavorable outcomes in twin pregnancies compared with singleton pregnancies. The study was published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. All twin and singleton births in Ontario, Canada, from 2012-2016, were included in the study. 270,843 women pregnant with singletons and twins were included in the study. The two groups were compared. The researchers adjusted for the age of the mothers, whether they had given birth before, whether they smoked, race, BMI, pre-existing hypertension and whether or not the babies were conceived by assisted reproductive technology.

Higher rates of c-section and preterm birth

The study found that diabetes in pregnancy was associated with higher rates of c-section and preterm birth in both singletons and twins. It was also associated with accelerated fetal growth and jaundice. However, there were a few outcomes that only applied to singletons who had mothers with gestational diabetes. That was hypertension, preeclampsia, admission to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), respiratory morbidity and neonatal hypoglycemia.

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