Today, multiple births are more prevalent than they used to be. The main reason is more couples opt for fertility treatments, which increases the chance of multiple pregnancies. They, however, carry a higher risk of problems. There are several complications which you must be aware of.

Health Shots got in touch with Dr Sushruta Mokadam, Consultant Obstetrician, Motherhood Hospital, Kharadi, Pune, to help guides people with some of the common complications that lead to multiple pregnancies. But before that, let us understand what causes multiple gestation.

What leads to multiple pregnancy?

Multiple births happen when a woman is carrying more than one baby. Usually, they happen when more than one egg is fertilised. When fertilised eggs divide into two or more embryos, each of them develops into a baby and result in multiple pregnancy.

Identical twins are the offsprings produced when a single fertilised egg divides into two. They have the same DNA and an almost identical appearance. Fraternal twins are born when two different eggs are fertilised by two separate sperms. They are no more similar than any other siblings from various pregnancies with the same parents and do not share the same DNA.