یو بینک ہوم لون - گورنمنٹ مارک اپ سبسڈی اسکیم

Twin births have almost doubled in developed countries in four decades, said researchers Monday who cautioned about the associated health risks.

In a study published in the US journal Population and Development Review, scientists said the rate of twin births nearly doubled in the United States from 9.5 twins per 1,000 deliveries in 1975, to 16.9 in 2011.

They found similar trends in Britain (from 9.9 per 1,000 to 16.1), Germany (9.2 to 17.2), France (9.3 to 17.4), Denmark (9.6 to 21.2) and South Korea (5.0 to 14.6).

The researchers attributed the surge to an increase in “medically-assisted reproduction” (MAR) since the 1970s when scientific advances produced techniques such as ovarian stimulation and in vitro fertilisation.

Both methods are associated with higher odds of producing multiple fetuses in a single pregnancy.

“We’re not sure if the rate will continue to increase, but the data is increasingly seen as a public health crisis,” said Gilles Pison of France’s Ined demographic research institute, who co-authored the study.