Data collected from the past decade show that multiple births – which result from the gestation of two or more embryos – has increased by nearly 7 percent among women who underwent in vitro fertilization, reports the Daily Mail.
With 5.7 multiple births per 1,000 UK women recorded in 2010, an average of one in four IVF pregnancies resulted in twins or triplets. When natural conception took place, the chance of a multiple birth dropped to one in 80.
With IVF becoming an increasingly common practice, pregnancy-related complications are also on the rise. Complications could include miscarriage, low birth weight, premature birth, cerebral palsy or even death.
Relationships are thought to also be at risk in cases of multiple-births, with nearly a third of parents of twins or triplets becoming separated due to financial strains, compared to less than a quarter of parents with single-born children.
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