Twin Births Up 42% Since 1980, U.S. Says

Twin births have climbed 42% since 1980 in the United States, largely because of fertility drugs, the government reported. Twin births rose from 68,339 babies in 1980 to 97,064 in 1994, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. The rate at which twins were born increased 30% during that period, from 18.9 babies per 1,000 births to 24.6. The likelihood that a woman will give birth to twins increases until about age 40, the report stated. And as women grow older, they are more likely to use fertility drugs, which increase the chances of multiple births. Twins make up 2% of all births.