Exploring the Optimal Intertwin Delivery Interval for Vaginal Delivery.

The effect of prolonged intertwin delivery interval (IDI) is not well studied. This work aimed to assess the inflection point for Cesarean delivery (CD) and associated adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. This was a retrospective cohort study at a single tertiary care center. The study included women with twin pregnancies in 2010-2019 who reached the second stage of labor, and assessed the most predictive cutoff for CD using Youden J statistic and compared adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes between short and prolonged intertwin delivery intervals. A total of 461 gravidas reached the second stage of labor and were included in the study. Using the ROC curve and Youden J statistic, the IDI cutoff was set at 15 min (80% sensitivity, 75% specificity, p < 0.001), with 312 women in the short and 149 in the prolonged IDI groups. Women in the prolonged IDI group were less likely to deliver the second twin vaginally (75.8% vs. 93.3%, p < 0.001). Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) (39.1% vs. 24.7%, p = 0.01), and placental abruption (4% vs. 1%, p = 0.03) were more likely to occur in the prolonged IDI group. An increased rate of neonatal acidemia and low 5-min Apgar score were also found in the prolonged IDI group (15.7% vs. 4.3%, P = 0.01, 9.7% vs. 3.5%, p = 0.008; respectively). IDIs of more than 15 min are associated with increased risk of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. These findings should be used for counseling and managing twin pregnancies attempting vaginal delivery.

The optimal cutoff for intertwin delivery interval: A retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the cutoff of intertwin delivery intervals (IDIs) as a predictor for neonatal acidemia. METHOD: This retrospective cohort study was conducted at a single tertiary care center. Women attempting vaginal delivery of twins between 2010 and 2019 and who reached the second stage of labor were included. The cutoff point for prolonged IDI was established using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and Youden's J statistic. Maternal and neonatal outcomes were compared between short and prolonged IDI cohorts. RESULTS: A total of 461 women were included in the study. A cutoff time of 10 min was found to be the best predictor for neonatal acidemia (arterial cord pH ≤ 7.1), with a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 59%. Second twins delivered more than 10 min after the first twin were more likely to be acidemic and to have a 5-min Apgar score of 7 or less (13.5% vs 3.3%, P = 0.01, and 8.4% vs 3.2%, P = 0.02, respectively). An IDI of more than 10 min was also associated with increased rate of cesarean delivery and placental abruption (13.5% vs 0.8%, P < 0.001, and 3.4% vs 0.8%, P = 0.047, respectively). No other adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes were statistically significant between cohorts. CONCLUSION: An IDI of more than 10 min is associated with a higher risk for neonatal academia, with a low 5-min Apgar score, and higher cesarean delivery and placental abruption rates. These findings provide insights that are valuable when counseling and managing twin pregnancies attempting vaginal delivery. Interventions aimed at shortening the IDI should be considered to prevent adverse neonatal outcomes.

Fixed-time interval vs on-demand oral analgesia after vaginal delivery: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Scheduled administration of analgesics was proven superior to on-demand dosing following cesarean deliveries. However, this protocol was not compared after vaginal delivery. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of a fixed- vs on-demand analgesic protocol for the management of pain in the first 24 hours after a vaginal delivery. STUDY DESIGN: This randomized, prospective, controlled trial was conducted at a single tertiary medical center between June 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022. Vaginally delivered patients were randomly assigned to receive oral analgesics (paracetamol 1 g + ibuprofen 400 mg) either every 6 hours for the first 24 hours postpartum (scheduled analgesia group) or as needed (on-demand group). Pain level during the first 24 hours postdelivery was measured using a 10-point visual analog scale. RESULTS: A total of 200 patients were randomized 1:1 to the 2 cohorts. Baseline and delivery characteristics, including oxytocin augmentation, epidural anesthesia, episiotomy rate, and neonatal birthweight, were comparable between groups. Patients in the scheduled group received more paracetamol and ibuprofen doses in the first 24 hours (2.9±1.3 and 2.9±1.2 doses vs 0.8±1.1 and 0.7±1.1 doses, respectively; P<.001). Pain score was comparable between study groups (5.31±1.92 vs 5.29±1.67; P=.626) even after subanalysis for primiparity, episiotomy, and vacuum-assisted delivery (P>.05). However, patients on a fixed treatment schedule were more likely to breastfeed their baby (98% vs 88%; P=.006) as than those receiving treatment on demand. In addition, they were more satisfied with their labor and delivery experience, as evaluated by Birth Satisfaction Scale questionnaires quality control (37.9±4.7 vs 31.1±5.2; P=.0324), patient attributes (35.0±5.1 vs 30.3±6.3; P=.0453), and stress experienced (58.1±8.5 vs 50.1±8.3; P=.0398). No side effects or adverse outcomes were reported in either group. CONCLUSION: A scheduled analgesic protocol for postpartum pain management following vaginal delivery revealed similar pain scores compared with an on-demand protocol, although it was associated with higher breastfeeding rates and higher maternal satisfaction.