Women expecting twins face risks: new findings reveal concerning information from scientists.

A new study has revealed that mothers of twins face a doubled risk of hospitalization due to cardiovascular diseases within a year after giving birth, compared to mothers with singleton pregnancies. The risk was also significantly higher for those twin mothers who experienced elevated blood pressure during pregnancy, according to ESC.

The research, led by Professor Kande Ananth from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and published in the European Heart Journal, analyzed data from 36 million births recorded in the Nationwide Readmissions Database of the United States from 2010 to 2020.

The researchers aimed to determine the short-term cardiovascular risks associated with twin pregnancies, considering the increasing prevalence of such pregnancies due to maternal age and advancements in infertility treatment.

Study participants were categorized into four groups based on whether they had a singleton or twin pregnancy, as well as the presence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, which include conditions such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and eclampsia. The results indicated that the overall rate of readmissions for cardiovascular diseases was significantly higher among patients with twins (1,105.4 per 100,000 births) compared to those with singleton pregnancies (734.1 per 100,000 births).

Even without high blood pressure, mothers of twins were hospitalized for cardiovascular diseases twice as often within a year after childbirth. If they had high blood pressure, the risk was more than eight times greater compared to mothers who gave birth to a single child without such conditions.

Despite the increased short-term risk, the study found that long-term mortality rates were higher among mothers with a single child and high blood pressure compared to twin mothers with the same conditions. This led researchers to suggest that while twin pregnancies impose significant stress on the heart in the first year postpartum, other cardiovascular risk factors may play a more substantial role in the long-term health outcomes of singleton mothers.

However, this study had limitations, as it did not account for factors such as smoking, obesity, or drug use, which were inconsistently reflected in the database. Dr. Ruby Lin, a researcher in the Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and the study's author, emphasized the importance of postpartum monitoring for women. She noted that during twin pregnancies, the maternal heart undergoes significant stress and requires several weeks to return to pre-pregnancy conditions.

She advised informing patients undergoing infertility treatment, particularly those with cardiovascular complication risk factors such as advanced age, obesity, diabetes, or pre-existing heart conditions, about the increased likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases during twin pregnancies. Healthcare providers and insurance companies should ensure ongoing monitoring for high-risk pregnancies for a year postpartum, she added.

Important! This article is based on the latest scientific and medical research and does not contradict them. The text is for informational purposes only and does not contain medical advice. For diagnosis, please consult a physician.