Gov.: Ma. Tops States With Most Multiple Births

June 17, 2008 12:47 p.m. EST

Boston, MA (AHN) - The largest number of twins, triplets and other multiple birth are born to Massachusetts couples, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The state earned the title national capital of multiple birth because it has a rather large number of pregnant older women who have a higher number of multiple pregnancies because of fertility treatments.

Latest data said 4.5 twins were born to every 100 Massachusetts women who had a live birth, in contrast to a 3.2 national average. The state was followed by New Jersey and Connecticut, which tied for second place on twin births, with 4.2 twins for every 100 births.

The phenomenon had led to the setting up of support group for parents with twins to help them deal with issues related to raising twins such as feeding schedules to having the siblings in the same classroom. The National Organization of Mothers of Twin Clubs meets annually in Boston every July.

The rising number of multiple births in the state has led to school-related challenges like lack of three classes per grade for parents who want to place their triplets in separate classes.

Across the U.S., there were 133,122 twin births, 6,208 triplet births, 418 quadruplet births and 68 quintuplets and higher order births recorded in 2005.