Twins Trust supports clinical research by helping with patient recruitment and providing funding through our partnership with the British Maternal Fetal Medicine Society. We are unfortunately unable to provide any other funding for medical research outside of this partnership.
 
We first partnered with the British Maternal Fetal Medicine Society in 2015 to fund a bursary into multiples-specific research. Prior to this there was no consistent funding for multiple-specific research and intermittent funding for specific projects led to peaks and troughs in interest among researchers. The following research studies were funded through this partnership.

Evaluation of the impact of fibronectin and cervical length monitoring in triplet pregnancies.  Dr Lisa Story (St Thomas’ Hospital, London)

The role of the vaginal microbiome and cervical length at 16 weeks in the prediction of preterm birth in twin pregnancy. Dr Andrew Sharp (University of Liverpool)

Exploring Novel Techniques for the Prediction of Spontaneous Preterm Birth in Multiple Pregnancies. Dr Brenda F Narice (University of Sheffield).

Quantitative fetal fibronectin, cervical length and vaginal microbiota for the prediction of preterm birth in twin pregnancies undergoing fetal laser surgery. Lindsay M Kindinger (University College London).

This bursary was awarded in memory of Eva Boyle, a much-missed, forever-loved twin.

Development of a core outcome set (COS) for multiple pregnancy studies: part of the ‘COMET’ initiative to standardise outcomes collected in research. Dr R. Katie Morris (Birmingham Women’s Hospital).

Evaluating Risk Antenatally in Twin Pregnancies – A Pilot Study. Prof. Alexander Heazell (University of Manchester).

Emergency Cerclage in Twin pregnancies at Imminent Risk of Preterm Birth: an Open-Label Randomised Controlled Trial. Prof. Asma Khalil (St George’s Hospital, London).

Examining the myometrial transcriptome in twin pregnancy. Dr Andrew Sharp (Liverpool Women’s Hospital).

A prospective observational study using UKOSS of cases of single twin demise (SIUFD) (>14 weeks) in MC twin pregnancies in the UK, including adverse maternal, fetal and perinatal consequences and prognostic factors. Dr Katie Morris, Professor Mark Kilby (University of Birmingham) and Professor Marian Knight (University of Oxford).

A case-control study of neurodevelopmental outcome in twin pregnancies with complications, including twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, single intrauterine death, selective intrauterine growth restriction, twin reversed arterial perfusion sequence and twin anaemia polycythemia sequence. Prof. Asma Khalil (St George’s Hospital, London).

A retrospective study to determine the prevalence of MCMA twin and triplet (any chorionicity) pregnancies using population-based NorSTAMP and STORK data for 2000-2013, and to compare birth outcomes and clinical management of these pregnancies across the NE and with those from the STORK multiple pregnancy cohort and also before and after the publication of the NICE guidelines. Dr Therese Hannon (Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust).

This study is fully funded by Twins Trust.