Women have babies later and later. One of the consequences of these late childbirths is highlighted by a European study: the number of twin birthshas more than doubled since the 1970s.
In the review Population and development review, the work, carried out by three researchers including a Frenchman, highlights two factors in this explosion of twin births: “the delay in childbearing and the spread of medically assisted procreation (AMP)”, reports The Huffington Post. “We have reviewed all the vital statistics of countries with detailed tables for deliveries distinguishing single births from multiple births: twins, triplets, etc.” from 1970 to 2012/2013/2014 depending on the country, explained to AFP Gilles Pison, professor at the National Museum of Natural History and associate researcher at the National Institute of Demographic Studies (INED).
Data from 32 countries show that after age 35, poly-ovulation is more frequent in women in developed countries, in particular due to greater use of ART. But clear disparities emerge between countries, for example when we compare the situation of Poland where medically assisted procreation is not widespread to a country like New Zealand, where ART is more common.
Risky twin pregnancies
Will this rise in twin births be reversed? Difficult to make predictions, judge the researchers, who are however worried about this current “boom”. “We do not know if this increase will continue, but it is increasingly perceived as a public health problem”, continues Gilles Pison quoted by AFP.
Twin pregnancies are not without risk for mother and child: risk of gestational diabetes and postnatal depression for the mother, risk of complications during childbirth, risk of prematurity and risk of growth retardation for the mother. the child.
Read also: If one twin has a risk, the second is more at risk
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