Pregnancy outcomes after fetal reduction and selective termination: A retrospective study

Aim: Fetal reduction (FR) and selective termination (ST) are the procedures applied for multiple pregnancies that positively change the gestational outcomes. Results regarding the reliability of these procedures are variable. In this study, pregnancy outcomes of FR and ST procedures and pregnancy loss rates related to the procedure were evaluated. Material and Methods: A total of 228 women with multifetal pregnancies, who underwent FR and ST in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine between January 2007 and June 2017, were analyzed. Result: The mean gestational week in those with FR was 11.7 (+/- 1.3). The mean gestational week in those with ST was 14.0 (+/- 3.1). The gestational week for ST was significantly higher than the gestational week for FR (p<0.001). Out of a total of 132 pregnancies undergoing FR, there was a total pregnancy loss in one case (0.75%). There was no pregnancy loss in any of the pregnancies undergoing ST. Discussion: With the increase in the number of fetuses, negative perinatal conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, intrauterine growth retardation, postpartum hemorrhage and staying in the neonatal intensive care unit increase. In our study, it was observed that these risks were similar to the frequency in the general population in patients who underwent fetal reduction and selective termination. The FR and ST procedures are successful methods to reduce fetal mortality and morbidity in the reduced numbers of fetuses, in conformity with ongoing pregnancies.