Mothers of twins much more likely to have had fertility treatment than those who had single babies

While 21.9% of mothers of twins reported getting fertility treatment, this dropped to 3.2% for mothers who gave birth to one baby.

Parents of infant twins dress them in matching outfits, report higher levels of having undergone fertility treatment, and had more concerns over their children’s development than parents of single babies, a new study has found.

The Central Statistics Office published a new paper on Friday on twins that took part in the Growing Up in Ireland survey 2008, with participants back then now on the cusp of adulthood.

The CSO said it would publish data on what parents had to say about their children at nine months old and 13 years old to gain “valuable insight into how twin dynamics evolve over time and influence physical, cognitive, emotional, and social growth”.

It found almost two thirds of mothers reported dressing their twins in matching outfits, all of the time (23.9%) or some of the time (35.3%).

They were also asked if each baby liked to be with their twin or were upset when parted from them.

While more than four in five mothers (82.8%) said their baby liked being with their twin most of the time, mothers (64%) also said their baby was never or hardly ever upset when parted from their twin.

The percentage of mothers who said they had undergone medical fertility treatment for their pregnancy was much higher compared to parents of single babies. While 21.9% of mothers of twins reported getting such treatment, this dropped to 3.2% for mothers who gave birth to one baby.

More mothers of twins intended getting pregnant at the time (65%) compared to mothers of single babies (58%).

Furthermore, the CSO also noted a difference in terms of the delivery of babies.

It said: “Close to three in 10 (27.6%) pairs of twins were delivered without medical intervention (eg suction assisted birth, forceps assisted birth, Caesarean etc) and unbreeched compared to 60.5% singleton births.” 

Elsewhere, a higher proportion of mothers of twins (10.9%) reported having concerns about some aspects of their baby’s behaviour and development compared to the mothers of singletons (6.8%).

However, while the study includes the parents of more than 650 twins or triplets, the CSO cautioned “particular care” should be taken when interpreting its results.