Twins and Multiples: The Joys And The Pains

Approximately 98.5% of all multiple births in the UK are twins. 33.3% of these will be identical and the rest will be non-identical. Twins, triplets or sometimes more were a rare sight until 1980 when the birth of twins rose by 62%. They continues to rise until 1990 but after 1998 there has been a declined of 21% in the rate of higher-order multiple births. Figures now show that over 9000 sets of twins are born in the UK every year

Fertility and Conception - Researchers believe the increase in multiple births is linked to fertility treatments such as IVF and fertility drugs, and women putting off having families until they are older because of career or financial reasons. In fact, a recent study suggests approximately 80% of the births of triplets in 1996 and 1997 were as a result of fertility treatments. The causes of births of identical twins is still unknown however infertility treatment, parity(number of previous pregnancies), the height, weight, race and age of the mother and maternal family history of twins are the main factors associated with the birth of non-identical twins. It is well documented that Black Africans have the highest rate of giving birth to non-identical twins whilst Oriental women have the lowest; and that women 30 yrs old and over are more likely than younger women to have a multiple birth, even without the use of fertility treatment; this increases for women over 45 years old. Also, if the mother is a fraternal twin then the likelihood of her having twins increases four-fold and obese or taller than average women are more likely to have multiple births.

Scientists believe that diet plays an important role in the conception of twins and that eating certain foods like yams could affect a woman's chances of conceiving twins. They also suggest that there is a link between the number of daylight hours and conception of multiple births.

Fertility treatment however increases the chances of conceiving multiples to 1 in 4 from 1 in 60 (natural conception of fraternal twins); and from 3% for natural conception of any multiple. Inadvertently increasing the need for closer monitoring as women carrying multiples have increased risks during their pregnancy; the greater the number of babies the higher the risk to both mother and baby.

Such high risk pregnancies require close monitoring as early diagnosis of possible problems and proper management is the best protection for both mother and babies. Regular ultrasound scans are recommended to ensure all the babies are growing at the same rate and to detect possible problems with either the placenta or blood circulation.

Ultrasound scans should not be limited to checking on your baby's growth. Great pleasure is derived from parents and siblings being able to see the yet unborn addition to their family moving about inside the womb. Parents now have the option of having either a 3d or 4d ultrasound scan.

Imagine the joy of having a real time video, produced by the 4d ultrasound scan that you could play over and over. It could even be used as a screen saver on your computer. How wonderful that would be to keep as a momento?

For more information on where you can get a 4d baby scan done, please visit: http://www.4dultrasoundscans.com/multiple-births/