Placental hormone profiles as predictors of preterm birth in twin pregnancy: A prospective cohort study.

Objective: The objective of the study was to analyse placental hormone profiles in twin pregnancies to determine if they could be used to predict preterm birth.

Study Design: Progesterone, estradiol, estriol and corticotropin-releasing hormone were measured using competitive immunoassay and radioimmunoassay in serum and saliva samples of 98 women with twin pregnancies,at 3 or more gestational timepoints. Hormone profiles throughout gestation were compared between very preterm (<34 weeks; n = 8), preterm (<37 weeks; n = 40) and term (37+ weeks; n = 50) deliveries.