Research from the Elizabeth Bryan Multiple Births Centre has contributed to national guidance, improving outcomes for the estimated 95,000 babies admitted to neonatal units in the UK. Research from the centre has also led to improved care for complex and multiple births in NHS Trusts across the UK.听听
Research summary
Multiple birth pregnancies often come with a greater risk of delivery complications, requiring different considerations compared to single births.
More than half of pregnancies that involve multiple foetuses result in an early (preterm) birth and these pregnancies also have a higher chance of requiring an invasive caesarean section.
With this in mind, Elizabeth Bryan Multiple Birth Centre researchers conducted several projects on:
- 听听听听听听 The information and support needs of parents of babies born preterm
- 听听听听听听 Improving caesarean section care and reducing infection, and;
- 听听听听听听 Skills, training and development needs of healthcare providers who support multiple birth families.
Research background听鈥撎齱orking with parents to highlight their needs听
Professor听Merryl Harvey鈥檚 work explored the experiences of parents听with babies born preterm and in neonatal听care.听听revealed that, in many cases, parents听reported that they were听not given enough information about the care听plan for听their听babies.听 Dr Carolyn Blackburn鈥檚 and Harvey鈥檚 highlighted the lack of support available for parents of preterm infants from health and educational professionals.
Caesarean section, can sometimes lead to infections that听impede recovery and lead to sepsis (a cause of maternal death).听听highlighted the need for improved information and care pathways for women to better prevent and identify infections. It also evidenced how caesarean section stigma, and women鈥檚 feelings of guilt for needing the procedure, negatively affected their recovery experiences.听
Professor听Harvey and听Professor Emeritus听Elaine Denny鈥檚听听explored听the needs of multiple birth families. They found a need for听better training for health visitors听as well as the need for an听evidence base to improve听health visitor practice when supporting multiple birth families.听
Outcomes and impact 鈥� enhancing national guidance to improve care听
Collectively, the work of the Elizabeth Bryan Multiple Birth鈥檚 centre has led to better care for complex births and for multiple birth families.听
Prof听Harvey鈥檚 research informed the first听听on the follow up care for children and young people born preterm. The guidance draws extensively on Harvey鈥檚 research to recommend health practitioners provide parents with more information about the care of preterm infants, equipping them with the information they need to help their children听make the best start in life.听
The NICE guidance听sets听out a framework for consistent high-quality follow-up care for the estimated 95,000 babies born preterm every year in the UK.听听听
Dr听Weckesser鈥檚听research on听women鈥檚 experiences of recovery after a c-section听informed an initiative at听Birmingham Women and Children鈥檚 Hospital听(BWC) to reduce infections in obstetrics.听Findings听about the information needs of women informed听an Infection Prevention Bundle to help prevent post-op听infections.听The initiative听led to a听ten percent decrease in surgical site infections post c-section at BWC, a hospital that attracts high risk pregnancies and carries out thousands of such procedures per year.听 听听
Dr Weckesser featured in a BBC educational video, 鈥�, to share these findings. The video has received over 1,761,400 views internationally, contributing to vital conversations about addressing c-section stigma and guilt.听
Research from the centre has also led to the development of a听CPD听course aimed at听training health practitioners听on improving听care听for听multiple birth families.听As a result of the module, an East听and听North Hertfordshire Trust (ENHT) Midwife created a continuous support pathway for women experiencing a multiple pregnancy within her Trust, for which she won the Chief Midwifery Officer Silver Award (2020). She said:听鈥淭he research informed module has been significant in the success in improving our understanding of the unique support required by families of multiples, and has helped to shape and inform how we deliver our provision for these families.鈥�
