serts / Getty ImagesTwin births are becoming more commonserts / Getty Images
The number of twins and triplets being born is rising for the first time in history, even as global birth rates fall. The phenomenon may be explained by social factors, such as more women having children at an older age and greater use of fertility treatments. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Germany, analyzed 3.19 million births, most of which occurred between 1980 and 2015, in 39 countries with low rates of medical observation or assisted reproductive technology. The number of twins being born in these countries is set to increase from 2010 to 2050, from 0.3% to 63% depending on the country, and even further by 2100, with increases from 3.5% to 79%. Due to their large populations, India and Nigeria were the countries that contributed most to the rise in twin births. More than half of twins (60%) and almost all triplets, quadruplets, or other multiple births are born prematurely, generally requiring neonatal care (Human Reproduction, December).
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