PCOS linked to increased risk of preterm delivery for twins

(HealthDay)—Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis is associated with increased risk of preterm delivery in twin pregnancies, according to a study published in the September issue of BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Tone S. Løvvik, M.D., from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, and colleagues conducted a population-based cohort study in Sweden involving 20,965 women with twin births between 1995 and 2009, of whom 226 had a PCOS diagnosis. The authors investigated pregnancy and perinatal outcomes for women with and without PCOS.

The researchers found that PCOS diagnosis in twin pregnancy correlated with increased preterm delivery risk (51 versus 43 percent; risk ratio, 1.18). Risk was particularly elevated for spontaneous preterm delivery (37 versus 28 percent; risk ratio, 1.3) and very preterm birth (14 versus 8 percent; risk ratio, 1.62). Low birth weight occurred more often among twins of PCOS mothers (48 versus 39 percent; adjusted risk ratio, 1.4). After adjustment for gestational age, this difference did not persist. The risk for cesarean section, pre-eclampsia, low five-minute Apgar score, or perinatal mortality did not differ between the two groups.

"The risk of preterm delivery in twin pregnancies is increased by having a PCOS diagnosis," the authors write. "This should be considered in risk estimation and antenatal follow-up of twin pregnancies."