Two thirds of parents of twins and other multiples don't get vital birth advice, according to a poll by the charity Tamba.
The Twins and Multiple Births Association says good support is necessary and can also help prevent post-natal depression.
Mums of twins need advice about how to breastfeed many mouths and where to seek help with any of the unique problems faced by parents of multiple births. Only 36% of 1,300 mothers surveyed by Tamba had been offered specific help to prepare them for caring for twins, triplets or more.
"This is worrying as multiple-specific parent education and nutritional programmes have been found to have improved outcomes for babies and mothers," says the charity.
The number of multiple birth pregnancies has increased hugely over the last 30 years, so that now approximately one in 30 births involves twins. Multiple pregnancies are usually classed as higher risk because of the increased chance of complications, such as premature birth.
According to Tamba, if parents expecting 2 or more babies, get the right advice then the newborn babies normally have a higher birth weight, are less likely to suffer problems or require medical interventions and are also less likely to have a preterm birth. The mums too are less likely to experience complications such as post-natal depression (PND).
In all, 17% of the mothers surveyed experienced depression, which is nearly the double the estimate of all mums who develop PND.
Multiple Births Foundation director Jane Denton said there was great inconsistency in provision and said that multiple birth parents needed continued support.
"They need specific support to help them cope with the practicalities of having two or more new babies. They need support to establish breast feeding ...... Equally important is looking at strategies so the parents do not become completely exhausted through caring."
Tamba has produced its own guidance for parents that can be downloaded from its website for free.
July 2009
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