Outcome of twin deliveries at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital: a 5-year review.

OBJECTIVES The objectives of the study were to determine the outcome of twin births at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Maiduguri, in terms of morbidity and mortality and to recommend possible measures to curtail or reduce some of the preventable complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a 5-year retrospective study, from January 2000 to December 2004, of twin births at the UMTH. RESULTS There were 196 twin deliveries in 8431 total deliveries, with a twin incidence of 2.3%. Dizygotic twins accounted for 63.4%. The increasing maternal age and positive family history of multiple pregnancies were associated with the increasing twinning rate. The main complications encountered were preterm labor, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and cord prolapse. The perinatal mortality rate of 107.5/1000 births was higher than that observed for singleton pregnancies in the same institution. Similarly, there was a higher Cesarian section rate of 24.7% compared to singletons within the same period. There were significantly higher perinatal mortality rates among the preterm (P = 0.000002) and low-birth-weight (P = 0.000004) fetuses. CONCLUSION Considering that fetal prematurity and low birth weight, sequelae to preterm labor, are the commonest causes of perinatal death in this study, efforts should be geared during the antenatal period toward the prevention of a premature birth.