Twins and more - Multiple Pregnancy

Complications
Multiple pregnancies are at greater risk of;
1. Chromosomal abnormalities (see Prenatal diagnosis). Dizygotic twins are more common in older women, who have a greater risk of chromosomal problems, and each egg carries its own risk. Special counselling is advisable regarding this issue in multiple pregnancy.
2. Fetal abnormalities. The risk for the non-identical (dizygotic) twins is the same as a singleton, but identical twins have a four-fold increase in the risk of finding an abnormality.
3. Common obstetric problems. There is an increased risk of developing antepartum and postpartum haemorrhage (see Haemorrhage), hypertension www.pregnancycare.co.uk/hypertension diabetes, anaemia and deep venous thromboembolism (see Major symptoms) among other problems in twin pregnancy.
4. Death of one twin can affect the chances of the remaining twin staying alive or being handicapped
5. Twin-twin transfusion syndrome. This can happen if the twins share the same sac and placenta. One fetus gets too much blood, becomes big and has extra fluid around it (polyhydramnios), while the other receives too little, is small and has no fluid around it (oligohydramnios - stuck twin). If the extra fluid around the recipient (big twin) becomes too much for the uterus the woman presents with a rapidly swelling, painful abdomen. She may require drainage of the fluid or laser to the vessels communicating from one side of the placenta to the other.