Abstract

Twin pregnancies have a higher risk of losing one or both babies during pregnancy or shortly after birth compared to single pregnancies. This is mainly due to complications like one or both babies growing slower than expected or being born too early. Our study, using data from 2011 to 2022 in Ireland, looked at the factors related to these risks in twin pregnancies and compared them to single pregnancies. Results showed that, while twins made up only 3.6% of all births, they accounted for 10.4% of baby losses. The loss rate for twins was over three times higher than for single pregnancies. Losses shortly after birth were more common in twins, while losses during pregnancy were more frequent in single pregnancies. Younger mothers and those with lower body weight faced higher risks in twin pregnancies. Many twin losses, especially in cases of birth defects or very early births, happened in hospitals without specialised care. This study underlines the need for updated twin-specific guidelines in Ireland to ensure early risk assessment, specialised care, and better referral systems to improve outcomes for twin pregnancies.