RESUMO
There is no consensus about the safe time interval between the deliveries of twins. This retrospective study, conducted from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2004 at the University Teaching Hospital of Yaoundé, Cameroon, was designed to evaluate the safe time interval between deliveries of twins. We analysed 268 twin deliveries. The mean time interval between twin deliveries was 10.0 +/- 7.9 minutes. The mean fetal weight of the first twin was 2416 +/- 565 g and that of the second was 2395 +/- 558 g. However, in 47.7% cases, the second twin was bigger than the first. When the second twin was delivered more than 30 minutes after the first, the mean 5 minute Apgar score was low. Therefore, efforts should be made to deliver the second twin within 30 minutes after the delivery of the first baby.
