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What are the common risks of multiple pregnancy?

By Michelle Lorraine Embleton B.Sc. Ph.D. (biochemist).
Last Update: 01/23/2023

Michelle Emblenton, biochemist at inviTRA, tells us about the possible risks of multiple pregnancy:

Multiple pregnancy usually carries a series of increased risks for both the mother and the baby. A summary of these would be: Possible low birth weight of the babies. An increased fluid retention in the mother. There is an increased risk of preeclampsia and also of premature birth. It could also be that one or more of the babies has a delayed intrauterine birth or perhaps the mother may suffer from gestational diabetes. It's also possible that there may be some chromosomal alterations, so it may be a good idea to have the genetic studies performed at the correct time according to the advice of your specialist. In the case of monocorionic pregnancies (where they share a placenta) it may be that a syndrome, called phytophetal syndrome, occurs and this is where one of the babies is actually getting more blood than the other one, but there is a solution for this.

 Michelle Lorraine Embleton
Michelle Lorraine Embleton
B.Sc. Ph.D.
Biochemist
PhD in Biochemistry, University of Bristol, UK, specialising in DNA : protein intereactions. BSc honours degree in Molecular Biology, Univerisity of Bristol. Translation and editing of scientific and medical literature.
Biochemist. PhD in Biochemistry, University of Bristol, UK, specialising in DNA : protein intereactions. BSc honours degree in Molecular Biology, Univerisity of Bristol. Translation and editing of scientific and medical literature.