More mothers having twins than ever before

MORE twins are being born in Scotland than ever before, figures have shown.

A report yesterday revealed that 953 sets of twins were born in 2008 - up from 882 the previous year and 742 in 2002. The rate - 16 sets per 1,000 births - is the highest ever reported.

The report by the General Register of Scotland said: "ThiADVERTISEMENTs is the highest rate in Scotland since recording began in 1855 and confirms the steady rise in the twinning rate in the last 25 years."

Rising rates of twin births have been put down to a number of factors.

Fertility techniques, where multiple embryos are implanted to improve the chances of success or treatments given to increase egg production, partly explain the rise.

But other factors include a growing number of women putting off childbirth until later in life. Research has shown that twins are more common for older mothers because they are more likely to produce multiple eggs than younger women.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the rate of twin births in Scotland was just over nine per 1,000. This rose to an average of 13.7 between 1995 and 1999 and to 14.7 between 2000 and 2004.

The figures also showed that nine sets of triplets were born in 2008, the same as the previous year. More babies in general are being born in Scotland, with the figure reaching 60,366 in 2008, up 2,258 on 2007, previous figures have shown.

"Total births have risen steadily during this century, reversing the decline in births over the previous decade," the report said.

Dr Jim Chalmers, a consultant in public health medicine, said not all of the increase in multiple births could be put down to fertility treatment.