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One study found that more than 600 emergency cesareans and up to 100 stillbirths could be prevented each year if NHS hospitals met the official guidelines for multiple births.
The project, sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs, revealed that more babies would survive, less would be hospitalized and £ 8 million could be saved if UK hospitals were better caring for pregnant women with twins, triplets or quadruplets.
The guidelines established by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (Nice) in 2011 and 2013 are not consistently adhered to in the NHS.
- 634 fewer emergency cesareans
- 100 stillborns less
- £ 8m in savings
The guidelines and quality standards set out how to care for pregnant women in multiple ways, including access to specialist doctors, midwives and ultrasound operators.
Women should also have a defined plan of care, additional ultrasound checks if necessary, and a fetal medicine expert involved in their care if their pregnancy is high risk or if complications arise.
Signs of premature labor should be discussed with women at 24 weeks of pregnancy and childbirth discussions should be held at 32 weeks of age.
Led by the Association of Twins and Multiple Births (Tamba), the three-year project in 30 maternities revealed that compliance with the Nice guidelines could reduce the number of caesareans by 634 emergency every year, 100 deaths less and less and achieve savings of £ 8 million year.
As part of the project, 65% of units had their neonatal admission rate reduced by multiples over the past 12 months.
The report says that if all units in England adhered to Nice's guidelines, neonatal admissions could be reduced by 1,308 within a year.
In one unit, the neonatal mortality rate for multiples increased from 3.2% to 0%.
St George's University Hospital in London, which is an exemplary unit and one of the first to adopt the Nice recommendations, has seen a five-year 70% reduction in the stillbirth rate, from 14 per 1,000 in 2012 to 4 per 1,000 in 2016.
In England, multiple pregnancies are 1.5 times more likely to lead to stillbirth than single pregnancies, three times more likely to lead to neonatal death and 7 times more likely to see the baby needing care. neonatal.
As part of the Tamba project, several midwives and specialist staff helped NHS employees implement the Nice guidelines.
The units were audited and reviewed 12 months later to badess the impact of the changes.
Keith Reed, CEO of Tamba, said, "We know and now have the evidence to prove that following Nice's advice on multiple pregnancies works.
"We urge the NHS to ensure that local maternity teams are aware that this project can make a significant contribution to achieving the government's ambition to reduce the number of stillbirths, neonatal deaths and premature babies.
"The evidence shows that while units know that they must follow these instructions, they often find it difficult and can face obstacles without the help of a third party.
"As an independent third party made up of several specialized midwives, the staff of the units we worked with were eager to participate and the results speak for themselves."
Mr Reed said that it was urgent to have additional funds to reach other maternity homes in England.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs said: "We want the NHS to be the safest place in the world to deliver and as part of the NHS long-term plan, supported by an additional budget. 33.9 billion pounds a year by 2023-2024. it is planned to halve the number of deaths at birth and neonatal deaths over the next five years.
"Tamba's excellent research, funded by the department, shows how many lives can be saved when the NHS follows the latest clinical guidelines.
"It's important to follow through on this research so that it can have a real impact on reducing these tragedies."
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