Intracranial KCl Injection - An Alternative Method for Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction in the Early Second Trimester

Objective: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness and feasibility of transabdominal intracranial KCl injection as an alternative to intrathoracic KCl injection for multifetal pregnancy reduction (MFPR) in the early second trimester. Methods: In this study, 40 cases who underwent fetal reduction between 12 and 18 weeks of gestation at the Reproductive Medical Center of Peking University Third Hospital from January 2006 to December 2011 were divided into two groups: group A (16 cases of intracranial injection) and group B (24 cases of intrathoracic injection). The groups were compared for clinical procedures and outcomes. Results: The two groups were similar in terms of patient age, gestation, as well as starting and finishing fetal numbers. Group A needed significantly fewer punctures for each fetus than group B did (1.1 +/- 0.2 vs. 1.4 +/- 0.6), but both groups received similar doses of KCl (2.6 +/- 0.8 ml vs. 2.6 +/- 1.2 ml per fetus). All cases succeeded in the first procedure, with no heartbeat recovery.The two groups had similar miscarriage rates and gestational ages at delivery. Conclusion: MFPR by intracranial KCl injection was as effective as, but an easier procedure than intrathoracic KCl injection between 12 and 18 weeks of gestation. Copyright (C) 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel