Multiple births

The number of multiple births in the United States has significantly increased in recent years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attributes the increase of multiple births to the number of older women trying to become pregnant with the help of fertility drugs after delaying pregnancy for many years. When you enter the realm of certain procedures and treatments of assisted reproductive technology, you might increase your chances of having more than one baby. You start out wanting a baby, but could end up with more than you bargained for. In vitro fertilization and the use of certain fertility drugs may increase your chances of a multiple birth. To reduce these odds, fertility doctors often try to limit the medications women take as well as the number of fertilized eggs implanted during in vitro. Selective reduction is a procedure where some of the fetuses are aborted, so those remaining have a better chance of normal development. A lot of controversy surrounds the ethics of multiple births and selective reduction. It's a good idea to obtain as much information as possible from your doctor about such issues, so you'll know how to confront them.