Perhaps the most famous set of quintuplets are the Dionne quintuplets born in Canada in They were the first documented set of all identical quintuplets to survive infancy. They were removed from their parent's care and placed in the custody of a doctor, who displayed them as a tourist attraction.
Are you having quintuplets? While often considered a blessing, having multiples comes with unique parenting challenges. It can be helpful for families to seek support and advice from other families in the same situation for support and advice. Here are some organizations that can offer resources and assistance:. Get diet and wellness tips to help your kids stay healthy and happy.
Lishi J. National Vital Statistics Reports. Births: Final Data for Scholars Journal of Medical Case Reports. American Pregnancy Association. Complications in a Multiples Pregnancy. Updated July 16, Twin Res. Triplet, quadruplet and quintuplet pregnancies. Management and outcome. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. Cosgrove B. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Multiple Pregnancy. Baltimore Sun. Mora's Abundance of Fatherly Joy. June 21, CBS News. These babies develop at the same time within the womb, but the two children have the same degree of genetic similarity as any siblings, sharing about 50 percent of their genes.
Identical twins arise via a different route: A single sperm cell fertilizes a single egg, but then the single resulting cell splits into two identical cells, which have the same chromosomes. From this point on, the embryos may grow differently depending on their environments, but their DNA remains the same, Herman said. In the case of identical triplets or quadruplets, the single fertilized egg splits into three or four genetically identical eggs, Herman said.
It's unknown why a fertilized egg sometimes splits, but identical twins tend to run in families, indicating that there's a genetic component, Herman said. Researchers have also found some other hints: Studies show that older, as well as larger and taller women are more likely to have twins.
The people of certain ethnic groups, including the Yoruba people of central Africa, are also more likely to have twins, whereas other groups, such as people in Asia and Central America, are less likely to have multiple births, a study in the journal PLOS ONE found. But these numbers are only for surviving multiples; sometimes, the fetuses of multiple pregnancies don't survive to birth.
Births involving twins, triplets and quadruplets often have complications, including prematurity and low birth weight, Herman said. Each embryo is monozygotic, genetically identical, and both will be the same sex. Depending on when the division occurs, identical twins may have separate placentas and gestational sacs, or they may share a single placenta but have separate sacs. In rare cases, identical twins may be in the same amniotic sac.
Non-identical twins occur when two separate eggs are each fertilized by a separate sperm. The two embryos that result are dizygotic, not genetically identical, and can be the same or different sex. Most of the time, this is the type of twinning that occurs from assisted reproduction procedures. Spontaneous losses are even higher in triplet and quadruplet pregnancies. When a fetus is lost in the first trimester, the remaining fetus or fetuses generally continue to develop normally, although vaginal bleeding may occur.
Ultrasound examinations performed early in the 5th week of pregnancy occasionally may fail to identify all fetuses. After 6 to 8 weeks, ultrasound should provide an accurate assessment of the number of fetuses. Naturally, twins occur in about one in pregnancies, triplets in about one in 10, pregnancies, and quadruplets in about one in , pregnancies.
The main factor that increases your chances of having a multiple pregnancy is the use of infertility treatment, but there are other factors. Your race, age, heredity, or history of prior pregnancy does not increase your chance of having identical twins but does increase your chance of having fraternal twins. Infertility treatment increases your risk of having twins, both identical and fraternal.
The overall rate of twins for all races in the United Statees is around 33 per 1, live births. Black and non-Hispanic white women have similar rates of twinning, while Hispanic women are less likely. Non-identical twin women give birth to twins at the rate of 1 set per 60 births. However, non-identical male twins father twins at a rate of 1 set per births.
Maternal age and prior pregnancy history. The frequency of twins increases with maternal age and number of pregnancies. Women between 35 to 40 years of age with 4 or more children are 3 times more likely to have twins than a woman under 20 without children. Maternal height and weight. Non-identical twins are more common in large and tall women than in small women. This may be related more to nutrition than to body size alone.
During World War II, the incidence of non-identical twinning decreased in Europe when food was not readily available. Fertility Drugs and Assisted Reproductive Technology. Multiple pregnancy is more common in women who utilize fertility medications to undergo ovulation induction or superovulation. Use of drugs to cause superovulation has caused the vast majority of the increase in the multiples. Assisted reproductive technology ART procedures such as in vitro fertilization IVF also contribute to the increase in the multiple birth rate.
The risk of multiple pregnancy increases as the number of embryos transferred increases. The duration of a normal singleton pregnancy ranges from 37 weeks to 42 weeks from the time of the last menstrual period. Twin pregnancies occasionally progress to 40 weeks but almost always deliver early. As the number of fetuses increases, the expected duration of the pregnancy decreases.
The average duration is 35 weeks for twins, 33 weeks for triplets, and 30 weeks for quadruplets. Complications increase with each additional fetus in a multiple pregnancy and include many medical issues that will be discussed below. In addition to these, there is a higher incidence of severe nausea and vomiting, cesarean section, or forceps delivery. If you are pregnant with twins or more, or if you are at risk for a multiple pregnancy, you should be aware of these and other potential problems you might experience.
Preterm labor and birth pose the greatest risk to a multiple pregnancy. Cesarean section is often needed for twin pregnancies and is expected for delivery of triplets. Since preterm labor and birth present such serious risks, the pregnant mother must understand the warning signs of early labor.
Sometimes, preterm delivery can be delayed by a few days or more if it is detected early. Each day gained provides valuable fetal growth and development.
Once a woman is in advanced labor, delivery cannot be stopped. In rare instances, delivery of a second twin can be delayed.
This delay, when possible, allows for continued growth in the protective environment of the uterus. Currently, there are no effective treatments to prevent preterm birth of multiples. The placenta is attached to the wall of the uterus, and the fetus is attached to the placenta by the umbilical cord.
The placenta provides blood, oxygen, and nutrition to the fetus through the umbilical cord. Placental function is more likely to be abnormal in a multiple pregnancy. If the placenta is unable to provide adequate oxygen or nutrients to the fetus, the fetus cannot grow properly. The placenta ages prematurely and may slow fetal growth, especially late in the third trimester. Another placental problem is twin-twin transfusion, a life-threatening condition in identical twins.
This transfusion occurs when blood flows from one fetus to the other through a connection in a shared placenta.
Therapeutic amniocentesis and laser coagulation of blood vessels that link circulation to the twins in the placenta s may reduce complications of twin-twin transfusion. Preeclampsia, also known as toxemia, occurs 2 to 5 times more often in multiple pregnancies. The condition may progress and threaten the health of the mother and baby.
Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Comments 0. Top Stories. Trump's former chief of staff fails to show for Jan. Toddler found safe after desperate hour search Nov 12, AM.
0コメント