Since blood and daily urine excretion of creatinine shows minimal fluctuation, creatinine excretion is useful in determining whether 24-hour urine specimens for other analytes (e.g., protein) have been completely and accurately collected. To view specimen requirements and codes please Select a regional laboratory.
Ultrasound is almost foolproof at diagnosing twins, but the greater the number of babies, the less accurate the ability to detect how many there are. It's possible to see twins (or more) on a scan at around six weeks, though one baby may be missed at this early stage. Sometimes a heartbeat is seen in one sac, but not in the other. Rescanning in a week or two may reveal a second heartbeat, or the scan may show that one sac is growing and the other still empty.
If you're carrying more than one baby, chances are good you'll deliver early. Twins are usually born around 36 weeks -- four weeks early. Triplets arrive at about 33 weeks, and quads often make their debut at 31 weeks.