查看文章

Background Although the medical complications associated with multiple-gestation pregnancies have been well documented, little is known about the effects of such pregnancies on the use of health care resources and the associated costs. This is an important issue because of the increasing use of assisted-reproduction techniques, which commonly result in multiple-gestation pregnancies. Methods We determined hospital charges and the use of assisted-reproduction techniques (such as induction of ovulation, in vitro fertilization, and gamete intrafallopian transfer) for 13,206 pregnant women (11,986 with singleton pregnancies, 1135 with twin pregnancies, and 85 with more than two fetuses) who were admitted for delivery to Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, in 1986 through 1991 and their 14,033 neonates (11,671 singletons, 2144 twins, and 218 resulting from higher-order multiple gestations). Results …