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The number of women having multiple births due to IVF has risen dramatically in a decade, figures show.
There were 15.7 multiple births per 1,000 women in 2010 - a rise of 6.8 per cent since 2000, according to the Office for National Statistics.
IVF treatment is a major contributor to the multiple pregnancy and multiple birth rate.
This has also led to a woman having an average of two children each - the highest fertility rate since 1973.
On average, one in four IVF pregnancies results in either twins or triplets, compared with one in 80 where the baby is conceived naturally.
Multiple pregnancies, where a woman becomes pregnant with two or more embryos, can cause complications including miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight, cerebral palsy and death.
A recent study from Birmingham University also found parents of twins or triplets are more likely to separate.
They found almost a third of couples with twins or triplets got divorced, compared with less than a quarter of couples with any number of ‘single-born’ children.
The extra cost of multiple births...
There were 15.7 multiple births per 1,000 women in 2010 - a rise of 6.8 per cent since 2000, according to the Office for National Statistics.
IVF treatment is a major contributor to the multiple pregnancy and multiple birth rate.
This has also led to a woman having an average of two children each - the highest fertility rate since 1973.
On average, one in four IVF pregnancies results in either twins or triplets, compared with one in 80 where the baby is conceived naturally.
Multiple pregnancies, where a woman becomes pregnant with two or more embryos, can cause complications including miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight, cerebral palsy and death.
A recent study from Birmingham University also found parents of twins or triplets are more likely to separate.
They found almost a third of couples with twins or triplets got divorced, compared with less than a quarter of couples with any number of ‘single-born’ children.
The extra cost of multiple births...