OBJECTIVE To compare the placental volume at 11 + 0 to 13 + 6 weeks' gestation between singleton and multiple pregnancies and to examine the possible effect of chorionicity on placental volume. METHODS The placental volume was measured by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound using the Virtual Organ Computer-aided AnaLysis (VOCAL) technique in 290 consecutive twin and 37 triplet pregnancies at 11...

Many triplets are conceived as a consequence of assisted reproductive technology (ART). Concerns have been raised that triplet pregnancies conceived by ART are more complicated than those conceived spontaneously. The purpose of this study was to evaluate all triplet pregnancies managed over a 12-year period to determine if there were any differences in outcome based on the mode of conception. A...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to compare the fetal/infant mortality risk associated with each additional week of expectant management to that associated with immediate delivery in women with multiple gestations. METHODS This was a retrospective national cohort study of 94,170 multiple deliveries, 92,619 (98.4%) twin and 1,352 (1.44%) triplet pregnancies, between 32 0/7 and 42 6/7 w...

Synaptic strength depresses for low and potentiates for high activation of the postsynaptic neuron. This feature is a key property of the Bienenstock-Cooper-Munro (BCM) synaptic learning rule, which has been shown to maximize the selectivity of the postsynaptic neuron, and thereby offers a possible explanation for experience-dependent cortical plasticity such as orientation selectivity. However...

BACKGROUND Triplet pregnancies are associated with a high risk of miscarriage and early preterm birth. It is uncertain if the outcome is improved by embryo reduction (ER). METHODS We examined trichorionic triplet pregnancies with three live fetuses at 10-14 weeks of gestation that were managed expectantly or by ER. The two groups were compared for the rates of miscarriage, defined as pregnanc...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the obstetric and perinatal outcomes evolution of triplet pregnancies. METHODS: A prospective observational study was conducted in triplet pregnancies delivered over 16 years in a tertiary obstetric center with differentiated perinatal support. Evaluation of demographic factors, obstetric complications, gestational age at delivery, mode of delivery, birth weight and immedia...

In order to achieve a clinical pregnancy rate higher than that achieved following initial adoption of in-vitro fertilization embryo transfers, more than one embryo is transferred. This has led to a substantial increase in unwanted multiple pregnancy rates with IVF as compared with natural conception. What is therefore required is a simple, clinically useful embryo scoring system, to reflect emb...

Monochorionic fetuses are traditionally thought of as monozygotic (MZ), arising from a single embryo that splits during early embryogenesis. With rare exception, they typically exhibit the same genotype and the same gender. However, several recent reports have documented that monochorionicity does not always indicate monozygosity (Souter et al., 2003). At least 14 such cases have been reported ...