|
25 November 2005
Multiple Births – Higher Risk Of Defects 
University of Florida researchers have studied all Florida births from 1996 through 2000 and found that twins, triplets and other multiples, have almost a 50 percent greater chance of being born with birth defects, with boys more at risk than girls. The study, appearing in the Maternal and Child Health Journal, found that the increased risk is evident for 23 out of 40 types of birth defect, such as spina bifida. The study says that boys have a 29 percent higher risk for birth defects than girls. The researchers speculate that this could be because boys tend to develop at a slower pace, leaving a little more time for potential problems to arise. Among twins, boys were twice as likely as their sisters to have defects of the genital and urinary organs and five times as likely to be born with an obstruction between the stomach and small intestine. Multiples also had the highest risks of having certain brain, heart, bladder and liver defects. Lead researcher and pediatrician Yiwei Tang said that although the risks are greater for multiple-birth babies, the number of children born with birth defects is still small. About 3.5 percent of multiples are born with birth defects, whereas 2.5 percent of single-birth babies are. But he added that the risk was real and should be communicated to prospective mothers, particularly now that the use of assisted reproduction techniques is rising. "In the past 20 years, multiple births have increased because of greater reliance on assistive reproductive technology, especially among women delaying childbirth until their 30s and 40s," said Tang. "In offering these options to women, full disclosure of an increased risk of birth defects should be made." "Though birth defects are not a common occurrence, when they do occur within a family, it can be life-altering," said study co-author Jeffrey Roth. "For the affected family, it doesn't matter that what has happened to them is a rare event." Source: University of Florida
Talk About This Article In The Forum...
|
