PET PET
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
Become a Friend Donate
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements
PETBioNewsNewsMore twins are currently being born than ever before

BioNews

More twins are currently being born than ever before

Published 12 March 2021 posted in News and appears in BioNews 1087

Author

Joseph Hamilton

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.

Global twin birth rates may have peaked as one in 42 are born a twin, which is likely due to the accessibility of IVF and fertility treatments...

Global twin birth rates may have peaked as one in 42 are born a twin, which is likely due to the accessibility of IVF and other fertility treatments.

European researchers examined twinning rates during 2010-2015 across 165 countries, showing a global surge since the 1980s from nine to 12 twin births per 1000 deliveries. This is primarily driven by increases in twin birth rates in Europe (+58 percent), Asia (+32 percent) and North America (+71 percent) where access to fertility treatments, such as IVF, has significantly improved over the same 30-year period.

'The relative and absolute numbers of twins in the world are higher than they have ever been since the mid-20th century and this is likely to be an all-time high.' said Professor Christiaan Monden of the University of Oxford and first author of the study. 'This is important as twin deliveries are associated with higher death rates among babies and children and more complications for mothers and children during pregnancy'.

In the paper, published in Human Reproduction, 74 of 112 countries which also had data available from 1980-1985 showed at least a ten percent increase in twinning rates. Among this group was the UK, however, the actual frequency of twin births is thought to have fallen since 2007 when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) launched their 'One at a Time' campaign. IVF is associated with a higher likelihood of multiple or twin births, which the HFEA aims to reduce to avoid health complications such as postnatal depression or low birth weight.

Previous research by the authors demonstrated that IVF is among fertility treatments that can have three times the effect on twin birth rates as delayed childrearing age.

According to the Guardian, chair of the British Fertility Society and consultant gynaecologist at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester, Dr Raj Mathur, commented 'It doesn't surprise us that twinning rates have increased because the availability of assisted reproduction has increased and also because women are slightly older when they have their first children'.

The researchers aim to update their findings with data from the early 2020s to establish whether twin births have truly plateaued. As IVF availability continues to expand into regions with already high twinning rates, such as West and Central Africa, this will be essential for forecasting the demand on health services.

Sources and References

  • 12/03/2021
    BBC News
    Twins peak with more born than ever before
  • 12/03/2021
    The Guardian
    World at 'peak twin' as birth rates reach historic high, study finds
  • 12/03/2021
    Human Reproduction
    Twin Peaks: more twinning in humans than ever before
  • 12/03/2021
    European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
    Twin Peaks: more twinning in humans than ever before

Related Articles

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
28 May 2021 • 2 minutes read

UK's success rate for IVF has increased

by Christina Burke

More single women and same-sex couples are opting for IVF as the success rate continues to improve, according to new data from the UK regulator...

Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the output from a DNA sequencing machine.
CC BY 4.0
Image by Peter Artymiuk via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts the shadow of a DNA double helix, on a background that shows the fluorescent banding of the sequencing output from an automated DNA sequencing machine.
News
8 January 2021 • 2 minutes read

Genomes of identical twins start to diverge in the womb

by Christina Burke

Identical twins may not in fact be genetically identical at birth, according to a new study by researchers in Iceland...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
Reviews
10 August 2020 • 6 minutes read

Book Review: Designing Babies — How technology is changing the ways we create children

by Dr Eleanor Taylor

The field of assisted reproduction has evolved at a rapid pace over the past 40 years and fertility patients are now faced with a plethora of treatment options...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
4 October 2019 • 2 minutes read

US twin birth rate lowest for a decade - better IVF may be reason

by Jennifer Frosch

The incidence of twin births in the USA has declined to the lowest rate in a decade, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reports...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« Hormone 'pulses' that govern fertility are regulated by brain cells

Data-Label The UK's Leading Supplier Of Medical Labels & Asset Labels

RetiringDentist.co.uk The UK's Leading M&A Company.
easyfundraising
amazon

This month in BioNews

  • Popular
  • Recent
13 June 2022 • 2 minutes read

Drop in diversity of blood stem cells leads to old-age health issues

4 July 2022 • 2 minutes read

Shorter IVF protocol reduces risk of OHSS

4 July 2022 • 2 minutes read

USA scrambles to understand implications of Roe v Wade on fertility industry

4 July 2022 • 2 minutes read

Genetic and epigenetic causes of IVF embryo arrest discovered

4 July 2022 • 2 minutes read

Dutch donor-conceived people seek answers

4 July 2022 • 2 minutes read

Genetic variant increases Alzheimer's risk, especially in women

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
PET PET

PET is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • BioNews
  • Events
  • Engagement
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us

BioNews

  • News
  • Comment
  • Reviews
  • Elsewhere
  • Topics
  • Glossary
  • Newsletters

Other

  • My Account
  • Subscribe

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856