Premature birth and low birth weight Babies born from<unk>  pregnancies are much more likely to result in premature birth than those from single pregnancies. 51% of twins and 91% of triplets are born preterm, compared to 9.4% in singletons. 14% of twins and 41% of triplets are even born very preterm, compared to 1.7% in singletons. Drugs known as betamimetics can be used to relax the muscles of the uterus and delay birth in singleton pregnancies . There is some evidence that these drugs can also reduce the risk of preterm birth for twin pregnancies, but existing studies are small. More data is required before solid conclusions can be drawn. Likewise, existing studies are too small to determine if a cervical suture is effective for reducing prematurity in cases of<unk> . As a result of preterm birth,<unk> s tend to have lower birth weight than singletons. Exceptions are possible, however, as with the Kupresak triplets, born in 2008 in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Their combined weight was 17 lbs, 2.7 oz, which set a world record. Two of the triplets were similar in size and, as expected, moderately low birth weight. The two combined weighed 9 lbs, 2.7 oz. The third triplet, however, was much larger and weighed 8 lbs. individually. Cerebral palsy Cerebral palsy is more common among<unk> s than single births, being 2.3 per 1,000 survivors in singletons, 13 in twins, and 45 in triplets in North West England. This is likely a side effect of premature birth and low birth weight. Incomplete separation<unk> s may be monochorionic, sharing the same chorion, with resultant risk of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Monochorionic<unk> s may even be monoamniotic, sharing the same amniotic sac, resulting in risk of umbilical cord compression and nuchal cord. In very rare cases, there may be conjoined twins, possibly impairing function of internal organs. Mortality rate (stillbirth)<unk> s are also known to have a higher mortality rate. It is more common for<unk> s to be stillborn, while for singletons the risk is not as high. A literary review on<unk>  pregnancies shows a study done on one set each of septuplets and octuplets, two sets of sextuplets, 8 sets of quintuplets, 17 sets of quadruplets, and 228 sets of triplets. By doing this study, Hammond found that the mean gestational age (how many weeks when birthed) at birth was 33.4 weeks for triplets and 31 weeks for quadruplets. This shows that stillbirth happens usually 3–5 weeks before the woman reaches full term and also that for sextuplets or higher it almost always ends in death of the fetuses. Though<unk> s are at a greater risk of being stillborn, there is inconclusive evidence whether the actual mortality rate is higher in<unk> s than in singletons. Prevention in IVF Today many<unk>  pregnancies are the result of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). In a 1997 study of 2,173 embryo transfers performed as part of in vitro fertilisation (IVF), 34% were successfully delivered pregnancies. The overall<unk>  pregnancy rate was 31.3% (24.7% twins, 5.8% triplets, and .08% quadruplets). Because IVFs are producing more<unk> s, a number of efforts are being made to reduce the risk of<unk> s- specifically triplets or more. Medical practitioners are doing this by limiting the number of embryos per embryo transfer to one or two. That way, the risks for the mother and fetuses are decreased. The appropriate number of embryos to be transferred depends on the age of the woman, whether it is the first, second or third full IVF cycle attempt and whether there are top-quality embryos available. According to a guideline from The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in 2013, the number of embryos transferred in a cycle should be chosen as in following table: Age Attempt no. Embryos transferred <37 years 1st 1 2nd 1 if top-quality 3rd No more than 2 37–39 years 1st & 2nd 1 if top-quality 2 if not top-quality 3rd No more than 2 40–42 years 2 Also, it is recommended to use single embryo transfer in all situations if a top-quality blastocyst is available.
Multiple birth
Male lactation
Male pregnancy
Abortion in Europe
History of abortion
Preterm birth
History of birth control
Sexual activity during pregnancy