ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 29, 1997 TAG: 9701290044
SECTION: NATL/INTL PAGE: A-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Los Angeles Times
The number of women giving birth to three or more babies at one time has quadrupled during the last two decades, probably because of the increased use of fertility drugs and delayed child-bearing, federal health officials reported Tuesday.
The number of births of triplets, quadruplets and quintuplets jumped to 4,594 in 1994, up from 1,005 such births 20 years earlier, according to a report released by the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The agency described the increase as remarkable and noted that the increases were most pronounced among white, married, college-educated women 30 or older.
About one-third of the increase was attributed to the older age of women when their children were born, a factor that increases the chances of a woman producing two or more eggs at one time.
The remaining two-thirds was because of the growing use of ovulation-enhancing drugs and fertility techniques, such as in-vitro fertilization, that are ``more commonly used by older white women of higher socioeconomic status,'' the report said.
Infants born in multiple births often arrive early, have low birth weights and carry greater health risks than those born in single births, although their chances of survival have improved substantially in recent years, the study said.
The findings were based on birth certificates registered in all the states and the District of Columbia.
The report did not examine the psycho-social aspects of the births on parents, especially those who were first-time, older mothers, but experts said they could be daunting.
After a multiple birth, life ``is considerably more difficult,'' said Victoria Jennings, an anthropologist who heads the Institute for Reproductive Health at Georgetown University in Washington.
Furthermore, the financial impact can be unexpected and overwhelming, she said.
``It may be one thing for a 35-year-old or older woman to have one baby and deal with day care, a nanny or other costs. But what if you have three? And especially if they have health problems,'' Jennings said.
``Also, think of putting three or more kids through college all at the same time when you're 60 years old and thinking of retiring in five years,'' she said.
LENGTH: Medium: 53 linesby CNB