If you're giving birth to twins or triplets you're better off in the North East
The North East is the best place in the country to have twins or triplets.
The North East is the best place in the country to have twins or triplets.
A report out today says there is a shocking variation between postcodes when it comes to multiple birth care.
The Twins and Multiple Births Association (TAMBA) and NCT reveals there are major differences among care for multiple birth mothers and babies across England.
Multiple birth babies born in the South East and West Midlands receive the worst standard of care, while those born in the North East received the best care
The report also reveals that each multiple birth baby is twice as likely to be stillborn as a singleton, and almost five times more likely to die in neonatal care
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) introduced guidance for multiple pregnancy but four years later, only 10 to 18% of UK units have implemented these guidelines in full.
Research shows that when the NICE guidelines are implemented in full, the rate of stillbirths, neonatal deaths and C-sections is reduced by up to a third.
Here in the North East 72% of care providers were in compliance with the guidelines.
Emily Pratt in Gateshead recently gave birth to twins.
She told Metro Radio it is a worrying time for any new mum but without the service she recieved it could have been much scarier.
"You do worry that every little thing is something serious," she said.
"To not have that support I would have been a nervous wreck, so I can't imagine what it would be like without that sort of access."