More twins are being born now than ever before, study finds

More twins are being born than ever before

We can't help but feel like we know more twins than ever before these days, and it may be down to IVF.

According to a study, the number of twins being born is currently at an all-time high.

A paper published in the scientific journal Human Reproduction revealed that more than 1.6 million twins are now being born every year.

Speaking about the study, Professor Christiaan Monden, of the University of Oxford, said:

"The relative and absolute numbers of twins in the world are higher than they have ever been since the mid-twentieth century, and this is likely to be an all-time high."

The scientists behind the study believe that one reason for the increase may be reproductive treatments like IVF.

IVF doesn't necessarily increase the chances of becoming pregnant with twins, but it does increase the chances of twins if multiple embryos are transferred, which, depending on your situation, may be done to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy.

The odds of having a multiple gestation pregnancy through IVF are around 30%, according to the RMA Network.

The research was gathered over several years, all across the world, with Africa being the continent with the highest number of twins being born.

In the paper, researchers go on to say that the record number was solely driven by births of "fraternal twins," which derive from two separate fertilised eggs.

On the other hand, the number of identical twins, known as monozygotes, has remained the same.