Walking on the street, if twins pass by, many people will look at them with envy and envy.
If you look carefully, the chance of twins was very small in the past, but now you can often see reports of twins or multiple births on TV and in newspapers. Are the chances of conceiving twins naturally increasing now, or is there another reason?
expert
Folic acid not linked to twins
Shanxi Lucun has been reported by many media. Not only are there ten generations of twin families here, but it is also common for other families to have twins.
The birth of twins is definitely related to genetic factors, but it cannot be said to be 100%. So some experts tested the millet that people in Lu Village eat every day and found that the folic acid content of local millet was many times that of other grains. Is having twins related to folic acid?
In this regard, Tan Li, director of the Department of Reproductive Medicine at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, said that she has never heard that folic acid supplementation can give birth to twins. Moreover, no clinical link has been found between folic acid supplementation and twins.
Folic acid is a B vitamin, and folic acid supplementation for pregnant women has two main functions. One is to prevent fetal neural tube malformations, and the other is to prevent megaloblastic anemia during pregnancy, miscarriage, neonatal death and pregnancy poisoning. Tan Li introduced that folic acid mainly plays an important role in the development of human embryos. Folic acid deficiency can lead to synthesis disorders and fetal neural tube defects.
In addition, a lack of folic acid in pregnant women can also cause miscarriage and premature birth. It is difficult to avoid miscarriage or premature birth caused by folic acid deficiency by taking any other measures. The reason why pregnant women are recommended to supplement folic acid is mainly because folic acid has an anti-anemia effect, which is beneficial to improving the intelligence of the fetus and making the newborn healthier and smarter. Therefore, it is not advisable to rely on high intakes of folic acid to help conceive twins.
status quo
IVF makes it easier to give birth to twins
Research shows that in addition to genetic factors, IVF has a higher chance of giving birth to twins.
According to Tan Li, the main reason why IVF can give birth to twins is that generally, IVF requires the implantation of two to three or even more fertilized eggs to ensure that at least one fertilized egg is successfully implanted. In this case, it is easy to give birth to multiple births.
However, the phenomenon of multiple births in IVF is not the result of natural selection, and it is not necessarily suitable for the mother\’s physical condition. Therefore, the probability of miscarriage and premature birth is higher, and the development of the fetus is not as good as that of a single pregnancy. Tan Li said that from the moment multiple fertilized eggs are implanted, the body is like a time bomb that may endanger the health of pregnant women at any time. Therefore, after conception, it is best for pregnant women to cooperate with doctors to perform planned fetal reduction surgery to ensure the health and safety of the fetus and mother.
Tan Li believes that in vitro fertilization technology is, after all, an unnatural alternative to external intervention. No matter how mature the technology is, itIt can only be used as a compensatory fertility measure and cannot affect natural fertility.
Fertility is the physiological process in which a mother conceives her offspring. Unless there are particularly difficult patients, natural pregnancy should generally be pursued. Tan Li suggested that if you really suffer from infertility, you can consider in vitro fertilization surgery according to your own situation, but do not regard in vitro fertilization technology as a panacea for twins.
remind
Twins should not take ovulation-stimulating drugs
A closer look reveals that many women who are pregnant with twins suffer from infertility at one point or another. In this regard, Han Xifeng, chief physician of the obstetrics department of Shangdu Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, said that this is mainly related to the fact that they take ovulation-inducing drugs.
In nature, the incidence of twins is very low, mainly related to genetic factors. However, in recent years, with the application of assisted pregnancy technology and other applications, the incidence of twins has increased compared with the past. Han Xifeng said that ovulation induction drugs, as a means of assisting pregnancy, can increase the twin pregnancy rate to a certain extent, but if the drugs are deliberately taken for the purpose of giving birth to twins, it will bring many risks. women and babies.
In fact, there are many risks associated with carrying multiples. First of all, the two fetuses rob nutrients from the mother\’s body and are prone to malnutrition and small growth. Furthermore, babies with multiple births are very likely to die due to premature birth and miscarriage, and the chance of fetal malformation is also greatly increased.
Therefore, Han Xifeng advises everyone not to use ovulation induction drugs casually just to pursue twins, otherwise the gain may outweigh the loss. The use of ovulation induction drugs must be done under the guidance of experts. Regular hospitals have strict indications for the use of such drugs, and unqualified doctors are not allowed to use them indiscriminately. Such drugs may also cause some complications, such as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, which can cause pleural effusion, ascites, liver and kidney function damage and other consequences for women. In severe cases, it may even cause shock, which is a very high risk.