Abstract

Twin pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of pregnancy complications and poor outcomes for twin infants, including being born early, being small and experiencing complications in the neonatal unit. It is not clear whether these risks are higher in twins conceived using fertility treatments (assisted conception or ART). We examined the pregnancy outcomes of a large group of twins from one tertiary maternity hospital and compared outcomes between spontaneous conceived twins and those from assisted conception. Women in the ART group were on average 4 years older and more likely to be in their first pregnancy. There was no significant difference in maternal complications during pregnancy, although ART twins were twice as likely to be delivered by caesarean section. ART twins were also almost twice as likely to be delivered under 34 weeks’ gestation. There was no significant difference in the rates of preterm birth or admission to the neonatal unit. Twin pregnancy, whatever the mode of conception, carries an increased risk for both mother and babies. However, for women that do conceive twins, from this study, they can be advised that assisted conception does not convey a significant disadvantage over naturally conceived twin pregnancies.