Article Sidebar
Article Details
The entire contents of the Tropical Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology are protected under Indian and international copyrights. The Journal, however, grants to all users a free, irrevocable, worldwide, perpetual right of access to, and a license to copy, use, distribute, perform and display the work publicly and to make and distribute derivative works in any digital medium for any reasonable non-commercial purpose, subject to proper attribution of authorship and ownership of the rights. The journal also grants the right to make small numbers of printed copies for their personal non-commercial use.
This journal content is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License, which allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, as long as the author is credited and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms.
Main Article Content
Twin anemia – polycythemia sequence (TAPS): postnatal correction of severe anemia in the donor twin by transfusion of blood evacuated from the recipient polycythemic twin
Abstract
Objective: To correct anemia by postnatal blood transfusion in the (intrauterine) donor twin neonate with blood obtained from the (intrauterine) recipient polycythemic twin.
Methods: The monochorionic twins displayed features of TAPS; concordant intrauterine normal amniotic sacs and fluid volumes, concordant birth weights (2.4kg and 2.2kg) but discordant postnatal haemoglobins (28.3d/dL and 7.3g/dL). Following resuscitation and admission to neonatal intensive care unit, clinical assessment revealed severe polycythemia and severe anemia in the first and second twin respectively. By partial exchange blood transfusion, blood obtained from the first twin was transfused to the second twin.
Results: The babies responded well to neonatal care and anemia was effectively corrected (Hb 18.0d/dL and 11.3g/dL for twin 1 and 2 respectively). One year after birth, the twins are doing well with appropriate developmental milestones.
Conclusions: Homologous transfusion of blood from a sister twin is an uncommon but welcome practice especially in a setting where donated blood is hardly readily available. This practice is strongly recommended in the management of neonatal anemia encountered in cases of TAPS and prenatal successfully managed Twin – Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS).
Key words: Twin, Transfusion, Severe Anemia, Polycythemia
