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Blood pressures in newborns with twin–twin transfusion syndrome

Journal of Perinatology volume 31, pages 417–424 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective:

In addition to unbalanced flow through placental anastomoses, evidence suggests that transfer of circulating vasoactive elements from the donor to the recipient contribute to the pathological process of twin–twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that TTTS recipients have higher blood pressure (BP) at birth than donors.

Study Design:

Chart review of all TTTS infants born from 1996 to 2007 with both twins alive ⩾24 h (51 pairs; average gestational age 30±3 weeks).

Results:

Both systolic and diastolic neonatal BPs were significantly higher in recipients. When expressed relative to predicted BP for birth weight (BW), BP were lower than expected in donors and higher in recipients.

Conclusions:

Data indicate that TTTS recipients have BP significantly higher than donors and than BP expected for BW. The long-term impact of these early hemodynamic perturbations remains to be determined.

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Acknowledgements

IM was supported by a fellowship from the Fondation du CHU Ste Justine. AMN and FA were recipients of fellowships from the Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec and the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, respectively. This work was supported by grants from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (AMN, LL and FA) and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (AMN).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Research Center, CHU Sainte-Justine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    I Mercanti, V Vlieghe, J-C Fouron & A M Nuyt

  2. École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Laval, Québec, Canada

    A Boivin

  3. Department of Obstetrics, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada

    B Wo, C Le Ray, F Audibert & L Leduc

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  1. I Mercanti
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Correspondence to A M Nuyt.

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Mercanti, I., Boivin, A., Wo, B. et al. Blood pressures in newborns with twin–twin transfusion syndrome. J Perinatol 31, 417–424 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/jp.2010.141

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