Statistics of multiple pregnancies. Interesting statistics about twins Nutrition and vitamins

Today many parents are engaged. And some of them dream of twins. Is it possible to plan the birth of twins?

Statistics

Over the past decade, the number of twins born has almost doubled. In European countries, including the Russian Federation, in the 80-90s there was 1 twin birth for every 80-90 births. Today, every 40-50th birth ends in the birth of twins. However, these are not the highest figures. For example, for Nigerian women, every 22 births result in the birth of two children. But Chinese women can very rarely be content with the birth of twins; every 250 births there are only one.

How do you get twins?

information Twins are born from a pregnancy resulting from the fertilization of two eggs that mature during one ovulatory cycle. They will have a different set of genes, and may be of different sexes.

The conditions under which 2 eggs can be obtained at once are as follows:

1. Hereditary factor. Scientists confirm the fact that there are genes responsible for the development of multiple pregnancies. Therefore, if there are cases of the birth of twins in your family, then you can hope that you will be lucky enough to experience the happiness of double motherhood at the same time. Moreover, if this happened on the maternal side, then the probability is higher.
2. Multiple spontaneous ovulation. Typically, one egg matures in a woman’s ovaries every month, while there are two ovaries and they work alternately. Under the influence of various factors, several eggs may mature in one or both ovaries at once.
3. Late pregnancy. It is believed that in a woman over 35 years of age, the likelihood of multiple spontaneous ovulation is slightly higher, which means that the chance of becoming pregnant with twins also increases. This occurs due to age-related hormonal changes.
4. Contraception. It has been noted that the chances of becoming pregnant with twins after stopping combined oral contraceptives (COCs) increases. This happens due to the so-called “rebound effect”. After a long rest, the ovaries begin to work so efficiently that they can produce several viable eggs.
5. Infertility treatment. Doctors are helping an increasing number of infertile couples become parents. One way to increase the chances of pregnancy is stimulation. The drugs prescribed for this often lead to the simultaneous formation and maturation of more than one egg in the ovaries.
6. . During the in vitro fertilization procedure, two or more embryos are implanted into the uterus. Sometimes only one survives, but often there are more.
7. Malformations of the uterus. Full or partial duplication of the uterus increases the chances of becoming pregnant with twins.

The literature describes cases of so-called superconception (the interval between fertilization of two eggs in this case is more than one menstrual cycle, as a result of which there are two fetuses in the uterus with different gestational ages) and superfertilization (when fertilization occurs during one ovulatory cycle, but as a result not one relationship, but different ones).

So, some media confirmed this fact with stories that one woman gave birth to a baby, and a month later another. Information also appeared about cases in which a woman gave birth to a black and white child from the same pregnancy.

When can you find out about the conception of twins?

For the first time, the fact of multiple pregnancy can be established at the first visit to the gynecologist (the size of the uterus will be greater than the expected gestational age). But an ultrasound examination performed at 5-6 weeks of pregnancy (detection of two embryos in the uterine cavity) helps answer this question with greater certainty.

important Also, in the early stages of pregnancy, women carrying twins experience more severe toxicosis (nausea, vomiting).

Yesterday, Beyoncé Knowles shared good news with fans: the singer posted a photo on Intagram with a rounded belly and admitted to followers that she and Jay Z were expecting twins. Thus, very soon baby Blue Ivy will have two brothers or sisters. To that end, we've put together a few facts about twins that you might not know.

Twins are born often

In 2014, the U.S. twin birth rate reached its highest ever level, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Russia, according to data from the Social Insurance Fund of the Russian Federation, the birth rate of twins doubled from 2006 to 2012. And by 2014 there were 18,315 twin births per year.

At the same time, nationality matters here. Statistics show that Asian women have a negligible chance of having twins - twin births occur out of every 250 normal births. At the same time, in Nigeria, on average, every twenty-third young mother is born with twins.

Experts say one of the possible reasons for the increase in the birth rate of twins in Europe is the fact that women today are more effectively treated for infertility and more often use artificial insemination (IVF), which several times increases the likelihood of having twins. Additionally, in today's world, women are increasingly having children later in life, which also increases their chances of having twins, according to several studies.

Even identical twins are not the same

In fact, even identical twins have significant genetic differences. And although they start out with identical DNA, genetic changes can occur early in fetal development, according to research presented at a meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG). This fact may partly explain why some pairs of twins may develop differently throughout life, for example when one of them develops a chronic disease while the other remains healthy.

Genes play a huge role here

The landmark Minnesota Twin Family Study, which studied pairs of identical and fraternal twins separated in infancy, found that even those who lived far apart for decades still shared a surprising number of traits - both medical and psychological.

These data indicate the strength of human genes. For example, twins who had never seen each other still adopted the same postures when sitting or standing, while identical twins in the same situation adopted different postures.

Here's a typical example: Twin brothers Jim Lewis and Jim Springer were separated at 4 weeks of age and met at age 39. The study found that they both suffered from headaches, bit their nails, smoked the same cigarettes and drove the same brand of car.

Twins may live longer

Geminis are more likely than men and women who are not twins. Studies conducted by Danish scientists have shown that identical twins, on average, actually live 4-5 years longer than twins, and the life expectancy of twins is 2-3 years longer than that of ordinary children.

Family history matters

The reason why some women have twins and others do not is due to the combination of two genes. This conclusion was recently reached by researchers from the Netherlands, who checked whether those women who had twins in their family were more likely to have two babies at once.

It turned out that two genes are responsible for this, and both of them play a role in the production and processing of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which helps the eggs mature. One hormone is associated with higher levels of FSH, which increases the chances of two eggs maturing at once. Another hormone increases the sensitivity of the egg to FSH, which also makes it more likely for two eggs to mature at the same time.

The statistics collected by demographers over the past decades are unequivocal: more and more twins, triplets and even more weighty “gifts” from the stork are being born on our planet. Thus, over the past twenty years, the birth rate of twins has increased almost 2.5 times, and today there are already over 75 million twins walking around the Earth! Scientists wondered: what exactly is the reason for this pattern?

It was previously noted that in some regions the number of such children is abnormally high, in others almost no twins are born. For example, in Japan or Greece you rarely see a young mother with a double stroller. But in the American city of Lake Elsinore, there are a total of more than 130 pairs of twins - adults and children. In the Siberian city of Myski there are more than 150 of them. But even this will seem to you if you dare to go from the airport in Delhi on an old corn farm to the small Indian village of Kodinhi (Kerela state). Despite the fact that in India the number of multiple pregnancies is usually small (4 out of 1000), more than 300 pairs of twins and twins (and more) live here - every year another 15-20 are added to them (this figure is 6 times higher than the demographic norms).

About every tenth inhabitant of the village has his own “clone” - or even more than one! Moreover, according to local physician Krishnan Sribia, all the twins are completely healthy and do not have any congenital anomalies. Desperate tourists jokingly complain that they see double or even triple in their eyes, and do not stop clicking the camera. But the natives themselves take what is happening for granted - after all, for three generations (the last 60-70 years) they have confused parents with their brothers and sisters, and having created a family, they have difficulty distinguishing between their own children.

German researchers in the field of occupational and environmental medicine analyzed data on the territories, especially those inhabited by the twins, and found out that in most cases the ecology of these places left much to be desired, since nearby there were either metallurgical plants and other heavy industrial enterprises, or radioactive uranium mines ores, or toxic waste processing plants and incinerators. And vice versa - according to archival records, infidelity is often observed in women from environmentally friendly areas. One way or another, the formula turned out to be mysterious: the worse it is, the greater the chances for the birth of twins, therefore their birth rate can serve as a bio-indicator of the ecological state of the region.

Scientists have suggested that the answer lies in the protective mechanisms of the human body: sensing the influence of toxic substances that regularly enter the blood from the atmosphere, the reproductive function is reconstructed into a more active state, and therefore uses more eggs, as a result of which twins are increasingly born . Scientists also associate the increase in the number of multiple births with the use of the drug clomiphene citrate, which stimulates ovulation - it has become widespread on the European market since the early 70s of the last century.

Researchers also emphasize that there are many other prerequisites for the birth of twins. For example, artificial pregnancy more often leads to the birth of several children - this is due to the fact that not one, but several embryos are implanted into the uterus “just in case,” and identical twins are often born. Skin color also matters, since northern peoples are 25 times less likely to have twins than residents of equatorial regions. Heredity also plays a big role: if there have been cases of the birth of such babies in a family, then the ability to repeat this feat is usually passed on through the generation. That is, the grandchildren of current twins will be able to get twins, but identical twins already have as many as 6 out of 100 chances of becoming parents of their own kind. Also, the birth rate of several children at the same time is influenced by the age of the mother: from 30 to 34 years old, twins most often “happen,” and from 35 to 39 there is every chance of babysitting triplets.

Birth of twins - a fairly common occurrence. For many centuries, scientists have been struggling with the question of what determines the birth of twins in a particular woman, but they have not been able to find a clear answer to this question, although most associate this with genetic predispositions, and also, oddly enough, with the age of the mother.

According to some reports, age is an equally important criterion, affecting the birth of twins, triplets, etc. Statistics confirm that the largest number of twin births was observed in mothers aged 37-38 years, and after this age, the number of multiple births decreased significantly. Of course, statistics do not take into account such a phenomenon as multiple pregnancies as a result of IVF.

According to some scientists, the birth rate of twins depends to some extent on where their parents live. In countries with temperate climates, the frequency is slightly higher than in countries with hot climates, according to a group of specialist scientists.

In 1895, the French biologist D. Ellin formulated pattern in the birth of twins, according to which there is one twin for every 85 normal births, one triplet for every 85 twins, 4 twins for every 85 triplets, etc. Simply put, there are twins in every 85 births, triplets in almost 7,000 births, quadruplets in every 680,000 births, and one sextuplet (and it happens!) in 4,712,000,000 births.

Statistics of multiple births

In Austria, a certain Mrs. Scheinberg gave birth 27 times, gave birth to 69 babies, and 4 times she gave birth to 4 children, 7 times to 3 and 16 times to 2.

Another Austrian woman gave birth to 3 twins, 6 triplets and 2 quadruplets in 11 births.

For many years in Russia, in one of the clinics, a lady was under the supervision of doctors who gave birth to 6 twins, 7 triplets and 4 quadruplets (total: 49 children).

In 1755, a peasant from the village of Vvedensky, Yakov Kirillov, 60 years old, was presented to the court of Empress Elizabeth. He was married for the second time, his first wife gave birth to 57 living children in 21 pregnancies, his second wife gave birth to 15 children in 7 pregnancies, and in total Kirillov had 72 children from two wives.

The Spanish shepherd from the province of Cordoba, Jose Pulido, was awarded the Father of the Year award at the age of 107. His three wives bore him 36 children: the first - thirteen, the second - eleven, the third - twelve.

In the late 70s of the last century, according to Muslim customs, Sudanese Bishara Mohammed el Shayeb took four women as wives. All four spouses gave birth to two sons.

Data from the scientific literature indicate that by the end of the Second World War, slightly more than 6 cases of the birth of 6 twins were known. However, in 1965, six twins were born in Humante (Brazil). In Faridipur district (Pakistan), in 1967, a young woman gave birth to six boys. In 1974, Suzanne Roznkowitz (25 years old) from the town of Kopstadt (Germany) gave birth to 3 girls and 3 boys at a time. In 1983, a woman from Blankenberg (Belgium) gave birth to six babies (5 boys and one girl).

But six children at a time is not the limit. In the German city of Chamelon there is a bas-relief with the caption: “When the year 1600 began, on the ninth of January in the morning, she gave birth to two boys and five girls.” Although, apart from the bas-relief, there is no documentary evidence of this fact.

But at the beginning of the 20th century, 6 cases of the birth of 7 twins were already officially registered. Medicine claims that there are known cases of the birth of eight twins, but this is already hard to believe.

In the same way, it is hard to believe in the birth of more children, but so far the only reliable case of the birth of nine children is known, of which two were stillborn. On June 13, 1971, 19-year-old Geraldine Broderick gave birth to her 9th birthday at the Royal Sydney Hospital.

Multiple pregnancies are risky for both mother and children. In this article you will find summary statistics of multiple pregnancies, the numbers of which may scare you. If you are expecting twins, this statistics is only a reason for you to take your condition more seriously and be carefully monitored by your doctor, without neglecting examinations, examinations and the necessary consultations. Medical supervision and timely actions by doctors are the best way to avoid complications or at least minimize their consequences.

1. In developed countries, perinatal mortality (mortality shortly before birth, during childbirth and immediately after it) in multiple pregnancies is 5 times higher than in a normal pregnancy with a single fetus. The reasons are miscarriage, frequent malformations, preeclampsia in the mother, malpresentation and birth injuries.
2. The birth of children with very low body weight during multiple pregnancy exceeds the frequency of this pathology during singleton pregnancy by 10 times.
3. The death of newborns in the first month of life exceeds that among the population by 7.1 times.
4. Mortality in childhood is 5.4 times higher.
5. Premature birth with twins occurs in 54% of cases, while with a singleton pregnancy only in 9.6%.
6. 50% of children have a birth weight of less than 2500 grams; in singleton pregnancies, 6% of children are born with low birth weight. The more fetuses, the lower the birth weight.
7. Frequency of congenital defects: - singleton pregnancy 1.47% of cases - twins 2.17 cases - triplets 3.7% of cases
8. The second fetus always has a lower Apgar score and more often requires resuscitation and tracheal intubation.
9. The mortality rate for monozygotic twins is 3 times higher than for dizygotic twins
11. Among monozygotic twins, 1% are monochorionic and monoamniotic.
12. The mortality rate for monoamniotic monochorionic twins reaches 50%
13. The mortality rate for triplets reaches 50-108 children out of a thousand births.
14. The mortality rate for quadruplets is at least 67 children per thousand births, but the numbers are not accurate due to the rarity of such births.
15. Among all children with cerebral palsy, 5-12% are children of twins.
16. In multiple pregnancies, the risk of complications for the mother is higher.

Thus, even according to statistics from developed countries, multiple pregnancy is a high-risk pregnancy; the course of multiple pregnancy in countries with a low level of medical care is accompanied by even more depressing outcomes. In order to choose the optimal obstetric tactics (for example, embryo reduction), it is important to make a timely, very early diagnosis of multiple pregnancy.