What are the chances?
Well, you might be thinking “how did I end up with twins?” or possibly “what are my chances of having more?” As I’ve been researching the statistics, I’ve found plenty of helpful, and not-so-helpful, information. Either way, it’s been pretty interesting.
Most studies have found that twins occur in about 3% of pregnancies. However, there are many factors that will increase or decrease those chances. First and foremost is genetics. If you, your mother, or grandmother is a fraternal twin, your odds are much higher. And if you’ve had 1 set of fraternal twins alrady, you chances are 4 times higher than other women of having another set; about 1 in 12. But if you have identical twins, the statistics go way down. The chances of having identical twins are about 1 in 285. Other factors I found include age, weight, fertility treatments (of course), and even nationality. It turns out Nigeria has the highest number of twins than any other country; about 1 in 22.
I found many more facts and stasticts at these websites. Check them out!
multiples.about.com - odds of having twins/increase or decrease your chances
March of dimes statistics - choose a state and the facts you want, they’ll chart it
twinsworld - fun and crazy twin facts
multiplebirths.org.uk - twins statistics in the UK