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  • Original Article
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Weight gain in twin gestations: are the Institute of Medicine guidelines optimal for neonatal outcomes?

Journal of Perinatology volume 35, pages 405–410 (2015)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

To assess neonatal outcomes according to gestational weight gain (GWG) in twins.

Study Design:

This was a retrospective cohort study of twins delivered at ⩾24 weeks. GWG was defined using the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines as the referent. Birthweight and neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU) admissions were compared with ≥2- and analysis of variance tests, stratified by body mass index (BMI).

Result:

In all three BMI groups, mean birth weight of the larger and smaller twin increased as GWG increased, P<0.01. For the underweight/normal-weight group, both twins <2500 g, <1500 g and small for gestational age decreased significantly as GWG increased. Birthweight <2500 g increased in all groups with GWG below the IOM guidelines, P<0.01. In the multivariate analysis, both twins <2500 g were significantly decreased with GWG above IOM guidelines. There was no difference in NICU admissions with GWG above the IOM guidelines.

Conclusion:

GWG above the IOM guidelines may improve twin birth weights, with the findings most significant in underweight/normal-weight women.

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Acknowledgements

The data included in this paper were obtained from the Consortium on Safe Labor, which was supported by the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, through Contract No. HHSN267200603425C. Institutions involved in the Consortium include, in alphabetical order: Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA, USA, ; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Burnes Allen Research Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Christiana Care Health System, Newark, DE, USA; Georgetown University Hospital, MedStar Health, Washington, DC, USA; Indiana University Clarian Health, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Intermountain Healthcare and the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA, USA; Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY; MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA; Summa Health System, Akron City Hospital, Akron, OH, USA; The EMMES Corporation, Rockville, MD, USA (Data Coordinating Center); University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA; University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA; and University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA. The named authors alone are responsible for the views expressed in this manuscript, which does not necessarily represent the decisions or the stated policy of the NICHD (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development). This study was supported by (1) the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD, NIH (National Institutes of Health) (author MAK), through a contract (Contract No. HHSN267200603425C), (2) Grant Number K23 HD076010 from the NICHD and NIH (author MAK) and (3) the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), Award Number UL1RR029879 from the National Center for Research Resources. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, USA

    A K Lal

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA

    M A Kominiarek

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  1. A K Lal
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Correspondence to A K Lal.

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Lal, A., Kominiarek, M. Weight gain in twin gestations: are the Institute of Medicine guidelines optimal for neonatal outcomes?. J Perinatol 35, 405–410 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2014.237

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