More human twins are being born than ever before, according to a new and comprehensive global study.
Since the 1980s, the twinning rate has increased by a third from 9 to 12 per 1,000 deliveries, meaning that about 1.6 million twins are born each year worldwide and one in every 42 children born is a twin.
A big cause of this increase is a growth in medically assisted reproduction (MAR), including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), ovarian stimulation and artificial insemination.
Another cause of the increase is the delay in women getting pregnant in many countries over the last decades – as the odds of having twins increases with age.
Move over Schwarzenegger and DeVito.
Having twins is at its highest and there are more double deliveries than ever before in the world.
A study into human reproduction over 30 years
in the Oxford Academic has shown that it s at a peak with around 1.6 million twins born each year worldwide (meaning one in every 42 children are born a twin).
The reason for the twin peak is due to people starting families later in life and the help of IVF which has seen twins rise by a third since the 1980s.
Women choosing to start families later in life, increased use of contraception and lower fertility overall also play a role, the review says.
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