Moms' Obesity Makes Twins More Likely
Moms' Obesity Makes Twins More Likely
Maternal Obesity Increasingly Important Factor for Fraternal Twins
The study's tallest women were also significantly more likely to have twins. However, the link wasn't as strong as the one between twin births and increased BMI.
Fertility drugs and reproductive technology account for most other multiple births, including triplets, say the researchers.
"Unlike triplets and other higher-order multiples, where 70% are attributable to the use of ovulation-inducing drugs and assisted reproduction, only 18%-34% of twin births can be attributed to these factors," write Uma Reddy, MD, MPH, and colleagues.
Reddy works at the pregnancy and perinatology branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study appears in the March 2005 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The researchers conclude that their work confirms an association between maternal weight and fraternal twins independent of the use of fertility drugs.
Twins are at risk for a variety of adverse pregnancy and delivery outcomes and have higher death and disability rates compared with single-birth outcomes. The influence of maternal weight on fraternal twins will continue to grow in importance as the percentage of obese women in the U.S. continues to rise.
Moms' Obesity Makes Twins More Likely
Maternal Obesity Increasingly Important Factor for Fraternal Twins
What About Triplets? continued...
The study's tallest women were also significantly more likely to have twins. However, the link wasn't as strong as the one between twin births and increased BMI.
Fertility drugs and reproductive technology account for most other multiple births, including triplets, say the researchers.
"Unlike triplets and other higher-order multiples, where 70% are attributable to the use of ovulation-inducing drugs and assisted reproduction, only 18%-34% of twin births can be attributed to these factors," write Uma Reddy, MD, MPH, and colleagues.
Reddy works at the pregnancy and perinatology branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The study appears in the March 2005 issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The researchers conclude that their work confirms an association between maternal weight and fraternal twins independent of the use of fertility drugs.
Twins are at risk for a variety of adverse pregnancy and delivery outcomes and have higher death and disability rates compared with single-birth outcomes. The influence of maternal weight on fraternal twins will continue to grow in importance as the percentage of obese women in the U.S. continues to rise.
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