• there are more than 100,000 multiple-birth children in Canada under 13 years of age and 41,000 multiple-birth children five years of age and under each year
• more than 4,000 sets of twins are born in Canada each year
• more than 75 sets of triplets, quadruplets and quintuplets (combined) are born
• Multiple births in Canada are on the rise: birth of twins has risen 35% (per 100,000 successful pregnancies) between 1974-1990.
• The incidence of triplets has increased almost 300% and quadruplets over 400% between 1974-1990
• Overall 15-17% of multiple births result from infertility treatments.
• It is estimated that 60% of triplets, 90% of quadruplets and 99% of quintuplets result from infertility treatments
• More General Facts on Multiples

• Multiple-birth babies represent 2% of all Canadian births but account for 16% of the low birth-weight infant population
• Almost half of all twins are born prematurely and/or have low birth-weight
• Over 90% of triplet, quadruplet and quintuplet babies are born prematurely and/or have low birth-weight.
• Multiple Births are the fastest growing segment of the preterm birth infant population
• Approximately 10% of all prenatal deaths are multiple-birth children
• Multiple-birth children are at a five times greater risk of birth defects and/or disabilities
• Multiple-birth children with special needs require expensive, additional educational support
• Parents of multiple-birth children are at a higher than average risk for drug abuse, alcohol abuse, family violence and divorce

• A high percentage of multiple-birth children are conceived through infertility treatments that are paid for by some provincial health insurance plans
• The increased costs for gynecological investigation and treatment for fertility-assisted pregnancies are approximately $3000 to $5000 per treatment
• Women expecting multiples are often admitted into hospitals for long periods; proving to be stressful to families and costly to the health care system
• Antenatal, delivery and postnatal care costs: hospital obstetrical care, including ultrasound scans, hospital visits for ultrasound, inpatient stay, delivery and postnatal care and stay for mother is: twins $5000, triplets $10,000, quads $17,000 (estimates assuming no complications)
• One set of premature twins costs the health care system approximately $130,000 from birth to discharge
• Multiple-birth babies are more likely to be admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) after birth
• The more babies born in the set, (i.e. twins, triplets, etc.) the lower the birth weight of each child and the increase in admittance to NICU's.

Couples who attend private fertility clinics must pay for the procedures Women expecting multiples can be admitted to hospital as early as 24 weeks gestation. If preschool children are at home, childcare arrangements must be made and if the family lives outside the community-based hospital, travel and accommodation expenses

The following is a cost comparison between a three-person family with one infant and families with twins, triplets, quads and quints (two parents) based on Social Planning Council of Metropolitan Toronto's Guides for Family Budgeting.

*** A 1983 study revealed that a mother of six-month-old-triplets expends an average of 197.5 hours per week (out of a possible 168) between herself and paid/volunteer assistance, on the care of her children and home. Did not include a time allowance for mother to bathe, dress, sleep, eat, relax or talk with partner.

• Incidence of twins is one in 90 births (without fertility treatments)
• Incidence of triplets is one in 8,100 births (without fertility treatments)
• Incidents of quadruplets is one in 729,000 births (without fertility treatments)
• Incidence of quintuplets is one in 65,610,000 births (without fertility treatments)
• Fraternal (dizygotic) twins/triplets are the result of two/three fertilized eggs
• Family history, mother's age, number of previous pregnancies, and race are determining factors in the incidence of fraternal multiples
• Identical (monozygotic) twins/triplets are the same sex, have the same blood types, hair and eye color and chromosomes. They are a result of a single egg splitting after conception. Environmental influences can determine that characteristics such as height, weight, ears, nose, lips are somewhat different. Some monozygotic multiples are told they are fraternal (dizygotic) - only DNA fingerprinting provides conclusive
  results
• Fraternal twinning does not necessarily skip a generation.

Parents of Multiple Births Association of Canada: A brief to the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, October 1989