THE CLINICAL OUTCOME OF PRETERM PREMATURE RUPTURE OF MEMBRANES IN TWIN VERSUS SINGLETON PREGNANCIES

The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical outcome of pre term premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM) in twin versus singlet on pregnancies at less than or equal to 36 weeks' gestation. A retrosp ective cohort study was conducted in 116 twin pregnancies with PPROM a t less than or equal to 36 weeks' gestational age and 116 matched sing leton pregnancies. The two groups were analyzed for differences in mat ernal demographics and perinatal and neonatal outcome. Perinatal and n eonatal outcomes were similar in the two groups. The median latency pe riod, however, was significantly decreased in the twin group (11.4 hou rs, Inter Quartile Range: 6.3-26.4) versus the singleton group (19.5 h ours, Inter Quartile Range: 10.2-49.3, p<0.05). The latency period in each group was notably longer when PPROM occurred at less than 30 week s' gestation, but was still shorter in the twin pregnancies (27.6 hour s, Inter Quartile Range: 20-307 versus 75.1 hours, Inter Quartile Rang e: 15-189, p<0.05). Twin pregnancies with PPROM at less than or equal to 36 weeks' gestational age have a decreased latency period when comp ared to matched singletons. The perinatal and neonatal outcomes, howev er, are similar.