Being pregnant with twins, triplets, or an even higher number of multiples comes as a big surprise to most moms-to-be. Having IVF twins is a real possibility because fertility treatments like IVF can increase the risk of twins or other multiples.
“Risk” might seem like an odd word to describe what many people would view as a blessing, but the truth is that multiple pregnancies can be risky for both the mother and the fetus. Here’s what you need to know about the risks of IVF twins or multiples.
How Common Is It To Have Twins?
According to ReproductiveFacts.org, when conception occurs naturally (without fertility treatments), twins are the most common type of multiple pregnancies, accounting for approximately one in 250 pregnancies. Triplets occur once in every 10,000 pregnancies, and quadruplets only naturally occur in about one in every 700,000 pregnancies.
The chance of having identical twins is actually the same for everyone, more or less. The rate of identical twins is about 1 in 250 pregnancies or 3-4 per 1000 pregnancies.
Identical twins are totally random, so your chances of having one fertilized egg spontaneously split into two separate embryos are the same regardless of your race, age, weight, or other factors.
Factors That Affect Multiple Embryo Development
There are several factors that contribute to the development of multiple embryos.
This can be due to a number of different reasons, such as age, family history, and body mass index. Being aware about these risk factors for hyperovulation will help determine your chances of having multiples.
Age
Older women are more likely to experience hyperovulation, increasing their chances of having twins or multiples. The chances increase at age 30 and again at age 35.
This is mainly due to hormonal changes that occur as you age. Those hormones can signal your body to release more than one egg at a time, meaning women of advanced maternal age are more likely to have twins or multiples.
Family History
You may have heard that “twins run in families.” There is actually no evidence for this common misconception. In reality, it has to do with the type of twin (fraternal vs. identical) and whose side of the family you’re talking about, the mother or the father.
If your mother or sister had fraternal twins, she may have a gene that causes hyperovulation, meaning that her body tends to release more than one egg during ovulation. That increases the likelihood that you also have that gene.
In that case, your chance of having fraternal twins is about double that of other women. Fraternal twins or multiples on the male’s side of the family don’t really affect your chances, and because identical twins are completely random, that’s not a predicting factor either.
BMI
Women who have a BMI of 30 or greater are at an increased risk of having multiples. The reason for this seems to be because excess fat can increase a person’s estrogen levels, which in turn can cause hyperovulation.
The Impact Of Assisted Reproductive Technology On Multiple Pregnancies
How likely is it to have IVF twins anyway? It turns out that there are a lot of myths around the prevalence of IVF twins, especially today as assisted reproductive technology has evolved.
It’s actually much less common to have IVF twins today than ever before. Reproductive endocrinologists and fertility clinics are much more focused on transferring a single embryo at a time.
This is in large part due to the risks associated with multiples, but it’s also a testament to the fact that the science has gotten so good, that we are now better able to predict an embryo’s chance of being successful.
Doctors have modern techniques to maximize the potential for pregnancy with a single embryo, such as blastocyst stage culture, where the blastocyst is grown in the lab for five days and observed as it reaches an optimal stage of development.
With single embryo transfer success rates of 60% and higher, it’s becoming less necessary or desirable to transfer more than one embryo. Transferring two or more embryos doesn’t really increase your odds that much.
Statistics show that transferring one embryo at a time for two cycles is actually more successful overall.
Getting Fraternal Twins
Through IVF
Fraternal twins are more likely among patients receiving IVF or other fertility treatments.
The average rate of twins among all births is about 3%. With IVF, it’s 5-12% depending on the age of the mother. Certain fertility medications such as gonadotropins can increase the chance of twins to 30%. Drugs like Clomid and Femera give you a 5-12% chance as well.
Identical Twins Through IVF
IVF and fertility treatments don’t really affect your chances of getting identical twins. The average general rate is 0.45%; with treatment, it’s 0.95%. This increase isn’t very significant because identical twins happen spontaneously, randomly, and without a known cause.
Identical twins are the result of a single fertilized egg splitting into two, or rarely, three parts. So far, we don’t know exactly why this happens, although scientists have been searching for the answer. No definitive cause for identical twins has been discovered yet.
Chances Of Getting Twins Through Treatments
In natural multiple pregnancies, the cause of fraternal twins is almost always hyperovulation. This means that a woman’s body tends to release more than one egg during ovulation.
Fraternal twins or triplets occur when two or three eggs are fertilized by two or three separate sperm. The zygotes develop separately alongside one another in the uterus.
A major cause of multiple pregnancies is the use of fertility treatments and medications. These treatments, like IVF, promote hyperovulation, and therefore the likelihood of having twins or higher-order multiples increases.
With IVF or other fertility treatments, the rate of twins varies based on the type of treatment and the age of the mother, but it can increase anywhere from 5% higher to 30% higher chance for having twins with IVF or fertility treatments.
Odds are increased usually because these treatments and medications stimulate egg production, encouraging more than one egg to be released during ovulation.
The chance for multiples with IVF increases greatly if more than one embryo is transferred at a time. Overall, women undergoing IVF treatment have a 5-12% chance of having multiples, which is significantly higher than the average rate of 3% found in naturally conceived pregnancies.
The Risks Of Multiple-Birth Pregnancies
Despite the fact that a quick Google search will reveal lots of articles aimed at women who want to have twins, multiple pregnancies of any number is risky.
A twin pregnancy is much more likely to have complications, including possible harm to the mother and the babies. Because of this, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), along with many doctors and fertility clinics across the country, discourages people from actively trying to have twins or multiples.
Some of the risks of a twin or multiple pregnancies include:
Premature Births
Nearly ⅔ of all twins are born prematurely, with an average gestation of 35 weeks. The full term is 37 weeks and beyond. Premature births put babies at risk for all sorts of complications, including immature lung development, feeding problems, and stomach and intestinal problems.
Premature babies often require medical support such as ventilation and a stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for close medical monitoring. Premature babies can experience lasting complications as well, including learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, hearing and vision loss, respiratory problems, and other developmental delays.
Infant Death
There is a significantly higher rate of miscarriage in twin pregnancies than in single pregnancies. Vanishing twin syndrome occurs in 36% of known twin pregnancies before week 12, and in 50% of pregnancies with three or more known gestations.
This is when one of the embryos in a multiple pregnancy spontaneously aborts, leaving one or more to develop normally.
Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome
Identical twins are at risk of unequal growth and development in the womb. Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome is when one twin grows much slower than the other, often with one twin taking more blood flow from the placenta than the other.
Without treatment, it can lead to infant heart failure and the death of one or both twins. This occurs in around 10% of all identical twin pregnancies when they share the same placenta.
Low Birth Weight
Low birth weight is one of the most common complications with twin and multiple pregnancies. More than half of all twins are born under 5.5 pounds. Low birth weight can cause many health complications for newborns and infants, and it can also lead to ongoing health and developmental problems.
Birth Defects
According to the March of Dimes, multiples are twice as likely as singleton babies to have birth defects such as congenital heart problems, neural tube defects like spina bifida, and cerebral palsy.
Apart from the health problems and risks that are increased for the babies, mothers carrying multiples are also at risk for several complications during pregnancy and during labor and delivery.
Cesarean Section
Women who are pregnant with multiples are much more likely to have a cesarean birth (c-section) than women who are pregnant with one baby. A c-section, while relatively common and safe, is a major abdominal surgery that takes longer to recover from and can cause complications in future pregnancies.
Pre-Eclampsia
Your chances for developing gestational hypertension, and/or preeclampsia are almost double when pregnant with multiples. High blood pressure during pregnancy can be very dangerous, leading to premature labor, maternal death, and fetal death.
The only way to cure preeclampsia is to deliver the baby. If that’s not possible due to the gestational age of the fetuses, the condition becomes life or death for the mother, the babies, or both.
Gestational Diabetes
Women who are pregnant with multiples are also twice as likely to have gestational diabetes than women carrying singleton pregnancies. This condition can be treated with lifestyle and diet changes, but there can be serious complications if untreated.
Gestational diabetes can cause excessive weight gain, increased risk for c-section, high blood pressure, and premature labor, and it can increase the weight of the baby, making delivery more difficult.
How Multiple Births Can Lead To Multiple Expenses
People who are considering or undergoing IVF treatment often look at a multiple embryo transfer as a way to increase the odds for becoming pregnant with twins or multiples. They see it as a sort of “two-for-one” deal. If they can get pregnant with two babies at once, they feel like they can save on the cost of trying again with another cycle.
But is there really a cost savings when getting pregnant with IVF twins? It turns out, it can actually cost much more to have twins than to pay for additional IVF cycles.
An IVF cycle costs $12,000 on average. A study in 2013 found that it costs roughly $21,000 to have a singleton baby, and that rate skyrockets to $105,000 for twins and more than $400,000 for triplets or higher.
What makes multiple pregnancies so much more expensive? Mostly, it’s the added cost to care for babies who will likely be premature, low birth rate, or experience other complications. More than 60% of all twins and nearly 100% of triplets or higher multiples will be born prematurely.
Premature babies almost always require a stay in the NICU, sometimes for several months until their lungs and other organs have developed enough to survive outside of the hospital. Multiple pregnancies are more likely to require a c-section, which costs more than a vaginal delivery and includes a longer hospital stay for both the mom and the babies.
Increased health risks to the mother during pregnancy mean she’ll have more frequent doctor appointments, and is more likely to be placed on bed rest or admitted to the hospital, and other medical interventions. All told, it costs 5-10 times more to have multiple pregnancies than it does to have a single pregnancy.
And what about those pursuing parenthood via surrogacy? Intended parents can expect to pay their gestational surrogate a premium should she become pregnant with multiples
The surrogate needs to be compensated to account for the increased risks and discomforts of carrying twins or more, so you can expect to pay $5,000-$20,000 or more, plus the added medical costs that come with any twin or multiple pregnancy.
Medical expenses aside, the cost of raising twins is more than raising single children who were born at separate times simply because there are a lot of expenses you can’t stagger.
You’ll need two cribs, two sets of clothing, double the diapers, and formula. You’ll possibly be paying for childcare for two infants at once. They’ll both reach college age at the same time.
Having A Single Pregnancy Is A Lot Safer
Most medical professionals are in agreement: a single pregnancy is much safer than a twin or multiple pregnancy. The added risks and costs associated with twins, triplets, or higher-order multiples are great enough to cause most in the field to discourage actively trying for multiples.
That said, many twins are born healthy, of course, so if mother nature decides to make it happen for you, you’re in for a wild ride!
When In Doubt, Consult
It’s always best to consult with your medical team and reproductive health professionals. Only a licensed medical professional can give you advice about what’s best for you, your unique health situation, and your family-building goals.
Ask your doctor about the risks vs. benefits of having IVF twins or multiples as you consider the question of single vs. multiple embryo transfer and other important decisions.
