According to a new study published in the journal Human Reproduction, twins are being born at a greater rate than at anytime in human history.
Twins are coming into the world at a rate of 12 per every 1,000 deliveries. That's up from 9 per 1,000 in the 80's, an increase of one third. That equates to about 1.6 million twins being born each year. It also means twins account for 1 our of every 42 babies.
The use of medical assistance in helping reproduction, and women waiting to have children (since older women are more likely to produce twins) are considered to be the main reasons for the increase.