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Sixty seconds on . . . twins
BMJ 2021; 372 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n709 (Published 12 March 2021) Cite this as: BMJ 2021;372:n709
- Zosia Kmietowicz
- The BMJ
Am I seeing double?
Very probably. The chances of seeing twins are higher now than ever. Since the 1980s the twinning rate has increased by a third from 9 to 12 per 1000 deliveries, says a global overview in Human Reproduction.1 About 1.6 million twins are born each year worldwide—that’s one in every 42 newborns.
What’s behind the bump?
A major reason is the growth in medically assisted reproduction including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), as well as ovarian stimulation and artificial insemination. They started in wealthier countries in …