Specialised antenatal clinics for women with a multiple pregnancy for improving maternal and infant outcomes

Abstract

Regular antenatal care for women with a multiple pregnancy is accepted practice, and while most women have an increase in the number of antenatal visits, there is no consensus as to what constitutes optimal care. 'Specialised' antenatal clinics have been advocated as a way of improving outcomes for women and their infants. To assess, using the best available evidence, the benefits and harms of 'specialised' antenatal clinics compared with 'standard' antenatal care for women with a multiple pregnancy. We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (October 2006), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL)(The Cochrane Library 2005, Issue 4), and PubMed (January 1966 to January 2006). Randomised controlled trials with reported data that compared outcomes in mothers and babies who received 'specialised' antenatal care with outcomes in mothers and babies who received 'standard' antenatal care. Both review authors independently assessed trial quality and extracted data. There are no included studies. There is no information available from randomised controlled trials to support the role of 'specialised' antenatal clinics for women with a multiple pregnancy compared with 'standard' antenatal care in improving maternal and infant health outcomes. The value of 'specialised' multiple pregnancy clinics in improving health outcomes for women and their infants requires evaluation in appropriately powered and designed randomised controlled trials.