Good diet may be behind rise in multiple births

If you think there are more twins being born than a generation or two ago, you're probably right. But if you think the rise in multiple births is solely down to fertility treatment, you're probably wrong.

A new study in Australia is challenging the view that IVF is responsible for an increase in twin pregnancies. Researchers followed Australia's birth rate from the 1920s to 2003. While it found that non-identical twin births rose following the introduction of IVF, the rise in identical twin births stemmed from long before IVF was available.

The researchers believe that the increase is due to mothers eating healthier diets. 'It's hard to think of a steady trend that has occurred over such a long period of time other than one that is due to the improved health and nutrition of mothers, which is reflected in the increased capacity of an egg to form embryos,' explained Prof Robert Jansen.

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