Triplets, Quadruplets, Quintuplets, Sextuplets, Multiples

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Supertwins Statistics

The average number of pounds gained during a multiple pregnancy:

Type of Multiples	Average Weight Gain	Weight Range
Twins	42 lbs	20 to 85 lbs
Triplets	50 lbs	-30 to 175 lbs
Quadruplets	52 lbs	0 to 110 lbs
Quintuplets	51 lbs	2 to 100 lbs
Sextuplets	56 lbs	31 to 80 lbs

The overall weight gain among survey respondents ranged from -30 to 175 lbs with the majority of mothers gaining between 40 and 80 pounds. (For more information about weight gain during a higher order multiple pregnancy, see MOST FAQ #8.)

Type of Multiples	In-home monitoring for contractions
Twins	30.7%
Triplets	52.1%
Quadruplets	60.9%
Quintuplets	53.9%
Sextuplets	57.1%

11.3% of survey respondents underwent an amniocentesis

0.7% of respondents had a chorionic villi sampling test (CVS)

Was a cerclage performed?	Average gestation at delivery
No 75.5%	32.9
No answer 3%	32.3
Yes 21.5%	32.4
The average gestation a cerclage was performed was 15.6 weeks ranging from 8 to 27 weeks.

Many mothers expecting higher-order multiples births are hospitalized prior to delivery. Below is the percentage of survey respondents who indicated being hospitalized prior to delivery based on the type of multiples:

       61.5% Twins (hospitalized on average 1 time)

       70.5% Triplets (hospitalized on average 1.7 times)

       86.1% Quadruplets (hospitalized on average 3.8 times)

       84.6% Quintuplets (hospitalized on average 1.4 times)

       100% Sextuplets or more

Only 2.1% of mothers smoked during their higher-order multiple pregnancies.

The average gestation respondents' doctors predicted the pregnancy would last is as follows:

       36.4 weeks Twins

       33.7 weeks Triplets

       31.7 weeks Quadruplets

       30.9 weeks Quintuplets

       30.4 weeks Sextuplets

1.49% (a total of 27) respondents chose to undergo a multi fetal reduction. Of those 27 surveys:

48.15% delivered triplets

33.33% delivered quadruplets

7.41% delivered quintuplets

11.11 delivered sextuplets or more

For more information about multi-fetal reductions, see MOST FAQ #5.

88.22% of respondents felt their multiple birth pregnancy was high-risk.

The following is a list of the most common complications survey respondents' experienced during their higher order multiple pregnancy:

55.4% pre-term labor (See MOST FAQ #12 for information on bed rest to reduce preterm labor during a higher order multiple pregnany.)

29.3% hypertension related complications (PIH, toxemia, preeclamsia, etc.)

22.7% vaginal bleeding

18.1% anemia

18.1% carpal tunnel syndrome

14.2% gestational diabetes

13.2% infection

11.9% prolonged rupture of membranes

10.6% severe itching (PUPPPS, cholestasis, rash)