Conclusion:
With twin pregnancies already being at high risk for adverse outcomes
regardless of the maternal pre-pregnancy weight, this study supports
findings of other studies on the additional impact of overweight and
obesity on both mother and twins. However, this study also shows a lower
rate of complications in contrast to some studies mentioned afore, most
likely due to the health care system in Germany and the Buergerhospital
Frankfurt being a tertiary referral center with a joined NICU. This
results in better and continuous monitoring from the very start of the
pregnancy and thus complications being diagnosed earlier with the option
to intervene sooner. Furthermore, an antibiotic prophylaxis before
cesarean sections is standard in Germany and therefore also leading to
lower post-cesarean maternal complications.
With increasing incidences of overweight and obesity worldwide, the
associated risks for twin pregnancies need to be addressed more to
create a foundation for better understanding and enhanced prevention of
overweight and obesity both in general and especially in regard to
pregnancies. However, underweight has also shown to have a great impact
on adverse fetomaternal outcomes in twin pregnancies, implicating the
need for information in this area as well.