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Twin Pregnancies

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Management and Therapy of Late Pregnancy Complications

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Abstract

Twins account for approximately 3 % of all deliveries, but make a disproportionate contribution to overall rates of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Twin pregnancies are at increased risk of preterm delivery, hypertensive disorders, gestational diabetes, congenital anomalies, stillbirth, and growth restriction compared with singleton pregnancies. Monochorionic twins are at significantly higher risk of adverse perinatal outcome than dichorionic twins. They are also at risk for unique pregnancy complications due to vascular anastomoses between the circulations supplying each of the twins. This chapter reviews most common late pregnancy complications associated with twins, as well as current recommendations on their prevention and management. It also provides an evidence-based guidance on optimal timing and route of delivery of twins.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Perinatology, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Šlajmerjeva 3, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Miha Lučovnik MD, PhD & Nataša Tul MD, PhD

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Santa Maria Hospital, GVM Care and Research, Bari, Italy

    Antonio Malvasi MD

  3. The International Translational Medicine and Biomodelling Research Group, Department of Applied Mathematics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Moscow, Russia

    Antonio Malvasi MD

  4. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Division of Experimental Endoscopic Surgery, Imaging, Technology and Minimally Invasive Therapy, Vito Fazzi Hospital, Lecce, Italy

    Andrea Tinelli MD, PhD

  5. Laboratory of Human Physiology, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University), Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region, Russia

    Andrea Tinelli MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Miha Lučovnik MD, PhD
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  2. Antonio Malvasi MD
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  3. Andrea Tinelli MD, PhD
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  4. Nataša Tul MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Nataša Tul MD, PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Santa Maria Hospital, G.V.M. Care and Research, Bari, Italy

    Antonio Malvasi

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Experimental Endoscopic Surgery, Imaging, Technology and Minimally Invasive Therapy, Technology and Minimally Invasive Therapy, Vito Fazzi Hospital, Piazza Muratore, Lecce, Italy

    Andrea Tinelli

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Centre for Perinatal and Reproductive Medicine, Santa Maria della Misericordia University, Hospiatal, Perugia, Italy

    Gian Carlo Di Renzo

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Lučovnik, M., Malvasi, A., Tinelli, A., Tul, N. (2017). Twin Pregnancies. In: Malvasi, A., Tinelli, A., Di Renzo, G. (eds) Management and Therapy of Late Pregnancy Complications. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48732-8_4

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