The latest MBRRACE-UK confidential enquiry report reveals that 1 in 2 baby deaths in twin pregnancies could have been prevented with better care and that 3 in 5 bereaved mothers are not getting the right support.

Around 740,000 babies are born every year in the UK, and 2 out of every 64 babies born are twins. Twins are twice as likely to be stillborn and 3.5 times more likely to die as newborns, compared to pregnancies with one baby.

Twin pregnancies have higher risks because women are more likely to have complications, such as high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia, and bleeding before or during childbirth. Babies in twin pregnancies are also more likely to be born preterm (before 37 weeks’ gestation) and need to be cared for in neonatal units.

The report shows that much more could be done to reduce the risks for women and their babies, save lives and prevent physical, emotional and psychological harm for women and their families.

This important report from MBRRACE-UK raises crucial questions about how care could be improved to prevent baby deaths in twin pregnancies, to better care for bereaved parents, and to learn from these tragedies to save future lives. It is very worrying to discover that in around 1 in 2 baby deaths, the care provided was poor and that better care may have prevented the baby from dying.

It is also saddening to hear that 3 in 5 mothers whose babies died were not given any care to help them cope with the death of one or both of their babies, and if they were it was poor quality. Bereavement care was particularly poor when one baby died and their twin survived.

Shockingly, only 1 in 5 deaths was reviewed by hospitals to understand what happened and give parents answers and in no reviews were parents engaged in the process. We will not prevent future deaths if hospitals don’t follow standardised review process, such as the Perinatal Mortality Review Tool (PMRT) for every single tragedy. The PMRT was rolled out in 2018 and should be standard care today.

The past year has put huge demands on the health service but I urge all NHS Trusts to take on board the report recommendations and follow national guidance. In particular, where a Trust does not currently have a specialist twins clinic, urgent improvements in care need to be made.

- Clea Harmer, Sands Chief Executive

Sands is urging healthcare professionals to read the full report, implement its recommendations and follow national guidance. If this were done, it is clear that future lives could be saved and national ambitions to reduce avoidable baby deaths might be achieved.