Study: Twin Births Nearly Double In Developed Countries

The proliferation of medically assisted reproduction has made twin births to surge by almost 50 percent in rich countries since 1970. This is according to a study published in the US Journal Population and Development Review.

Times Live reported that the researchers found out that the twin birth rates in developed countries have almost doubled in the past 40 years. United States had 9.5 twins per 1,000 deliveries in 1975, and it has surged to 16.9 in 2011.

The scientists also discovered similar trends in rich countries like Britain (from 9.9 per 1,000 to 16.1), South Korea (5.0 to 14.6), Germany (9.2 to 17.2), France (9.3 to 17.4), and Denmark (9.6 to 21.2). The increase in twin births was attributed to the growing popularity of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and other medically assisted reproduction techniques.

Gilles Pison, co-author of the study, said they are not sure if the rate will continue to increase. "But the data is increasingly seen as a public health crisis," he stated.

According to Pison, the growing trend has associated health risks. He said that it is not only dangerous to the mother but also to the twin babies who will be more fragile than the single ones.

Twins from medically assisted reproduction are more likely to be born prematurely with lower birth weight. To stem the surge of twin birth rates, the researchers suggested the implant of fewer embryos per pregnancy.

A report of the CNN stated that there are several health risks associated with twin and multiple pregnancies, regardless of how the mother gets pregnant. These include gestational diabetes and high blood pressure.

In the US, the rate of twin births has reached a record high in 2014 based on the annual report of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics. Out of 1,000 births, 33.9 of them are twins.

NJTV News reported that due to IVF, New Jersey has the highest twin birth rate in the US with 43.1 twins in every 1,000 live births. IVF usually costs between $12,000 and $15,000, and it often takes two to three treatments before a woman becomes pregnant.