Over the last thirty years, the number of multiple births has risen, mainly because of the introduction of assisted reproduction techniques including in vitro fertilisation [IVF]. Multiple births now account for 3% of live births.

A multiple pregnancy does have higher risks compared with a singleton pregnancy, both for mother and baby. Hence antenatal services for women pregnant with twins or triplets can be improved.

Team@CMHF

Antenatal care for women with a multiple pregnancy varies considerably, impacting on how a woman is cared for during her pregnancy and its outcome.

The guideline says that women carrying twins or triplets should receive specialist care from an experienced multidisciplinary team to avoid higher than necessary rates of assisted birth and caesarean section, and so they receive appropriate neonatal risk assessment before birth. These women also need more monitoring and more frequent antenatal visits due to the higher risks which can be associated with twin and triplet pregnancies.

An increase in the number of women receiving specialist care for multiple pregnancies should also result in a lower number of preterm births and neonatal complications, resulting in potential cost savings for the NHS.

Reference: http://www.healthcanal.com/pregnancy-childbirth/21243-New-NICE-guideline-calls-for-improvements-antenatal-care-for-women-pregnant-with-twins-triplets.html