The study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, examined data from 43,133 twin infants born at 34 weeks or after, between Jan. 1, 1980, and Dec. 31, 2015, in Scotland.
Of the 43,133 twin infants, 26,172 remained in utero for 37 weeks or more before being born.
Researchers found that twin born between the 34th and 37th week of pregnancy had higher odds of fetal death (stillbirth) or early neonatal death than twins who remained in utero for longer.
Researchers linked educational data for 9,519 twin children in the study and found that twins born before 37 weeks faced a higher risk of experiencing special educational needs while in school.
“In the absence of a medical complication, twins should not be routinely delivered before 37 completed weeks of gestation,” study authors concluded.
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