Chromosome Abnormalities in Multiple Pregnancies

When a woman is pregnant with more than one baby and they are not identical, the probability of one of them having a genetic abnormality is a bit higher. In the end each baby does have a risk of suffering from an abnormality, and the risks add up. The mothers of one baby are considered in an advanced maternal age when they are thirty five, but in pregnancies of twins in which there are two ovules, women are considered in advanced maternal age when they are thirty three years old and in the case of triplets they are considered in an advanced maternal age when they are thirty one or thirty two.

Hypertension and Preeclampsia in Multiple Pregnancies
Hypertension is something more common in multiple pregnancies because the risk is proportionate to the amount of fetuses there are. Some women develop hypertension without other symptoms or physical indications. Others develop a condition that is exclusive of pregnancy, which is preeclampsia, which has to do with high arterial pressure level that is associated with edema or increased elimination of proteins in the urine. Around forty percent of the women that are pregnant with twins and around sixty percent that are pregnant with triplets develop some type of hypertension during the pregnancy. This is why the doctor makes sure to watch the mother’s arterial pressure.

Restriction of Intrauterine Growth in Multiple Pregnancies
The problems with fetal growth are present in almost fifteen out of fifty percent of all pregnancies with twins, and are even more common with women that are pregnant with triplets and in fetuses that share the same placenta. When there is only one placenta, the blood might not be distributed equally between the twins, which could cause one of them to get more nutrients than the other. In the case of multiple pregnancies with different placentas, growth restriction can occur when the placenta implants itself in a more favorable position in the uterus meaning it provides better nutrition than the other. The doctor in these cases will most likely program routine sonograms in order to make sure the fetuses are growing correctly.