Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Twins, Triplets, Multiple Births
If you are pregnant with more than one baby, you are far from alone. Multiple births are up in the United States. More women are having babies after age 30 and more are taking fertility drugs. Both boost the chance of carrying more than one baby. A family history of twins also makes multiples more likely.
Years ago, most twins came as a surprise. Now, most women know about a multiple pregnancy early. Women with multiple pregnancies should see their health care providers more often than women who are expecting one baby. Multiple pregnancy babies have a much higher risk of being born prematurely and having a low birth weight. There is also more of a risk of disabilities. Some women have to go on bed rest to delay labor. Finally, they may deliver by C-section, especially if there are three babies or more.
Parenting multiples can be a challenge. Volunteer help and support groups for parents of multiples can help.
Dept. of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health
It sits within Children and Teenagers and Pregnancy and Reproduction.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Twins, Triplets, Multiple Births
1 study isregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research already completed
- 17OHP for Reduction of Neonatal Morbidity Due to Preterm Birth (PTB) in Twin and Triplet PregnanciesObstetrix Medical Group
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Being Pregnant with Twins, Triplets, and Other MultiplesMarch of Dimes Foundation
- Challenges of Parenting MultiplesAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine
- Multiple PregnancyAmerican College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- Preparing for Multiple BirthsNemours Foundation
- Twins: Two Distinct IndividualsAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
Diagnosis and Tests
- Obstetric UltrasoundRadiological Society of North America
- Prenatal Testing: MedlinePlus Health TopicNational Library of Medicine
Related Issues
- Difference Between Identical and Fraternal TwinsAmerican Academy of Pediatrics
- Fertility Drugs and the Risk of Multiple BirthsAmerican Society for Reproductive Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Pregnancy, MultipleNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: TwinsNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Pregnancy, Triplet, Pregnancy, Twin, Pregnancy, Quadruplet, Pregnancy, Quintuplet. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Twins, Triplets, Multiple Births, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.