According to the researchers, poorer access to fertility treatments can partly explain the phenomenon.
During the corona pandemic, weaker access to fertility treatments can be reflected in a decrease in the number of twin births, according to researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in a report published on Wednesday.
In the United States, the number of twin births fell by seven percent between 2019 and 2020. Before the pandemic, the decline had averaged two percent per year.
The relative share of twin births among all births also fell more than usual. In 2019, there were 32.1 twin pregnancies per thousand pregnancies. The following year, the number had dropped to 31.1 pregnancies, which corresponds to a drop of three percent.
In 2020, a total of 120,291 twins were born in the United States.
– Considering the period of pregnancy, the placement of the bill in the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021 coincides with when the coronavirus pandemic began and access to fertility treatments was restricted, the researchers write Isabelle Horon and Joyce Martin in his report.
Hard to prove for sure
The proliferation of fertilization treatments increases the number of twins. Twins are also increased by other factors, such as the mother’s high age, having given birth and good nutritional status.
According to researchers, in the United States, the largest decrease in twin pregnancies was seen among women over 40 years old. This group is the most likely to use fertility treatments. Correspondingly, the smallest decrease was seen in the group of women under the age of 30, who need fertility treatments the least.
However, the researchers point out that the study cannot prove that it was the corona restrictions that caused the decrease in the number of twins.
The researchers point out that, for example, the share of Latino women in twin births fell more sharply than the share of white women. This is peculiar because statistically, Latino women use fertility treatments less than white women.
Source: Reuters