Labour in twin pregnancy. An analysis by parity

SummaryThe purpose of this study was to determine the differences in labour outcome between primigravidae and multigravidae in a twin pregnancy. The course and outcome of labour were analysed by parity in all twin pregnancies delivered in the years 1988/1989. The most dramatic difference was in the incidence of caesarean section, which was 57 per cent (n = 46) in primigravidae compared with 18 per cent (n=123) in multigravidae (P<0005). Of the 15 caesarean deliveries for dystocia, 13 were in primigravidae. Five of the 6 caesarean deliveries for a second twin were in multigravidae. The mean duration of the first stage of labour was 5-5 hours in primigravidae and 2-3 hours in multigravidae (;P< 0-001). The mean duration of the second stage was 25 minutes in primigravidae and 11 minutes in multigravidae (P < 0001). As in singleton pregnancies, the course of labour in twin pregnancies differs between primigravidae and multigravidae.