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Complications of a Multiple Birth

There are several complications that can be associated with a multiple birth. Twin pregnancies are the least likely of multiple births to encounter complications. The risks of complications increase with each additional baby that is carried. A multiple birth is normally treated as a high-risk pregnancy by the prenatal team. This allows for extra care and monitoring throughout the pregnancy and allows the prenatal team to catch any complications as early as possible.

  1. Premature Labor

    • A delivery that happens before 37 weeks of gestation is considered to be a premature birth. The risks of premature birth increase with each additional baby that is carried. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, twins are born premature over 50 percent of the time and this number increases with each additional baby that is carried. A premature birth can cause health problems with the babies. Each day that the babies are carried decreases the risk of complications after they are born.

    Intrauterine Growth Restriction

    • Multiple gestations can cause the growth rate of one or more of the babies to begin to slow during the pregnancy. The rate of the slow growth can vary depending on how many babies are being carried. Twin growth will slow later in the pregnancy than triplets or quadruplets. This slow down is due to the limitation in growth that a placenta can handle and the fact that the babies are competing for the nutrients being provided.

    Preeclampsia

    • Pregnancy-induced hypertension, or preeclampsia, occurs three to five times more often in multiple pregnancies. Preeclampsia is when there is protein present in the urine and the blood pressure is consistently high. It can be life-threatening for the mother and the babies. With frequent and adequate prenatal care, this condition can be caught early and monitored to help decrease the chance of serious problems. Severe preeclampsia can cause the mother to have seizures or a stroke.

    Other Multiple Birth Complications

    • Two other multiple birth complications are low birth weight and gestational diabetes. Multiples are commonly born at a low birth weight, below 5.5 pounds. This can be due to premature birth or intrauterine growth restriction. Mothers are more likely to be diagnosed with gestational diabetes when they are carrying multiple babies. This can be caused by the increased size of the placenta and the elevation of placental hormones. Other multiple birth complications include anemia, excess amniotic fluid and the increased risk of having a cesarean section.

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