There are more twins in the world today than ever before. According to a study conducted by scientists at the University of Oxford, based on an analysis of data from 165 countries, which comprise 99 percent of the world’s population. Researchers have noted that there has been a marked increase in the birth of twins since the 1980s. Currently, one in forty-two births is said to be a twin.
Worldwide, nearly 1.6 million babies are now said to be born as part of twins. Researchers argue that the rate at which twins are born has increased by a third in the past 40 years. At the same time, however, he notes that in Birth The twins may have climaxed.
Infertility treatment
“The trends are really amazing,” says research lead Christian Munden, professor of sociology and demography at the University of Oxford. “There has been a marked increase in twins over the past forty to fifty years. This trend has been concentrated mainly in rich and developed countries. But this has led to an absolute peak around the world.”
Most twins are now born as a result of various fertility treatments. While the birth rate of identical twins has barely changed over time, researchers have found that twins, naturally non-identical twins and twins born after fertility treatment have seen a global increase.
“This is mainly due to improved access to medical support,” the researchers say. “ However, there is also an effect due to the choice of many couples Fatherhood and Motherhood To postpone until a young age. The chances of conceiving non-identical normal twins peak when the mother is from thirty-five to thirty-nine years old.
Around the world, there are now twelve in a thousand Births There are twins. Forty years ago, there were still nine twins out of a thousand births. This is an increase of 33 percent. “However, the numbers show marked differences between countries,” the researchers say.
The largest increase was recorded in North America (71 percent), followed by Europe (60 percent) and Asia (32 percent). However, there was an increase almost everywhere. The only exception was South America.
a challenge
“However, in Western Europe, and especially in Scandinavia and the United Kingdom, there are fewer twins who are reborn compared to the turn of the century,” says Raj Mathur, president of the British Fertility Society. “There is a realization that a number of fertility treatments increase the chance of conceiving twins. This is why procedures have been modified in recent decades.”
“In poor areas, such as parts of Africa and South America, fertility treatments are less accessible for large sections of the population,” says Raj Mathur, president of the British Fertility Society. “It will now be the biggest challenge to get into it They landed To provide support services without increasing the chances of giving birth to twins.
“Most babies born as part of twins are healthy. However, there is no doubt that carrying twins poses a greater risk to both mother and child. Therefore efforts must be made to reduce these risks.” (wdm)
