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Epidemiological trends in multiple births in the United States, 1971–1998

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2012

John L. Kiely  and
Michele Kiely
John L. Kiely*
Affiliation:
Child Health Statistics Center, Institute for Health Policy & Health Services Research, University of Cincinnati. [email protected]
Michele Kiely
Affiliation:
Division of General & Community Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Cincinnati.
*
*Address for correspondence: Professor John L. Kiely, Health Policy & Clinical Effectiveness Program, Children’s Hospital Medical Center, TCHRF 7546, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, U.S.A.

Abstract

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The astounding rise in multiple births in the United States continues. We analyzed live birth files from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. Twin, triplet, quadruplet, and quintuplet+ rates were calculated for the period 1971–1977 and for each year between 1990 and 1998. Triplet rates were also computed within categories of mother's education and age. The twin rate increased from 1.8% in 1971–77 to 2.8% in 1998. The rate of triplets increased 5.9-fold, quadruplets 11.9-fold, and quintuplets+ 5.3-fold between 1971–77 and 1998. Increases in triplet rates were much more marked among births to university-educated women and women 30 years and older. Among women 45 years and older, the triplet rate was approximately fifty times higher in 1998 than in 1971–77. This group of older women (≥ 45 years) had the highest multiple birth rate in 1998.

Type
Festschrift
Information
Twin Research and Human Genetics , Volume 4 , Issue 3 , 01 June 2001 , pp. 131 - 133
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001