A CDC report claims more and more twins are being born in America because women are having children at an older age, and the use of fertility treatments. The CDC revealed that in 2014 there were 33.9 twins born for every 1,000 births compared to 1980 when the rate was 18.9 twins per 1,000 births.
The CDC showed that the twin birth rate in America has almost doubled in the last 35 years. This week, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health) published a report that revealed that more and more women – mainly black women – are giving birth to twin babies.
According to the CDC, in 2014, there were 33.9 twins born for every 1,000 births, whereas, in 1980, the rate was 18.9 twins per 1,000 births. The center did not say if there were more fraternal or identical twins that were born. Another interesting piece of information is the fact the twin birth rate went up among black women but did not change among Asian, Caucasian and Hispanic women. So, why are more mothers welcoming twins?
There are two explanations for the increase in twin birth rate – women are using assisted reproductive technology and are having children later. The report stated that the use of fertility treatments, such as in-vitro fertilization, have been on the rise since the first baby was conceived using this technology in the United States in 1981.
Another study revealed that 30% of women, who underwent IVF cycles over a seven-year period, became pregnant for the first cycle, more than 20% for the second through the fourth cycle, as high as 65% by the sixth cycle and the number continues to increase through the ninth cycle. However, most couples stop after only a few cycles, due to the emotional and financial toll of the process.
In 2014, there were significant changes in fertility treatments, which could explain the decline in triplet and quadruplet birthrates. The CDC report also found that the rates of women giving birth in their 20s reached a record low in 2014, while the rates of women giving birth in their late 20s, 30s, and early 40s rose.
The CDC report also produced the following findings: The average age of the mother at her first baby’s birth rose from 26.0 years old in 2013 to 26.3 years old in 2014.
There was a 9% decrease in the birth rate among teen mothers, ages 15 to 19 since 2013 and the rate among single women giving birth fell for the sixth year in a row. White women saw the largest overall increase in birth rate, whereas the birth rate dropped by 1% among Hispanic women and did not change among black women.
In 2014, there were 3.99 million babies born in the U.S., up from 3.93 million babies born in 2013 – but according to researchers, that number of births is not enough to replace the previous generation.
