Objective: To study the maternal and neonatal outcome of twin pregnancies complicated by the intrauterine death of one fetus after 20 weeks of gestation.
Design: Retrospective, observational study of 7 twin pregnancies out of 185 twin pregnancies with the diagnosis of a single intrauterine death over a 5-years period in a university hospital.
Results: The incidence of single fetal death in twin gestation after 20 weeks was 3.8% in the study population with a high incidence of intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) of the remaining fetus and preeclampsia in the further course of pregnancy. The incidence of preterm delivery was 71% with a mean gestational age of 33.0 +/- 1.0 weeks. The median interval from diagnosis of single fetal death to delivery was 10.2 +/- 4.1 days (range 1-28 days). 5 of 7 (71%) cases were delivered by cesarean section for standard obstetrical reasons. Neither perinatal nor neonatal death of the remaining twin were observed. Two cases of neurologic injury were diagnosed after delivery by ultrasound and MRI. No maternal coagulopathy related to single fetal death occurred.
Conclusion: Expectant management of single fetal death in twin pregnancies might be advisible under close surveillance of both, mother and the surviving fetus.