Skip to main content

1998 to 2023 Saw Decline in Triplet, Higher-Order Birth Rate

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on Nov 3, 2024.

via HealthDay

FRIDAY, Nov. 1, 2024 -- From 1998 to 2023, there was a decline in the triplet and higher-order birth rate, according to an October data brief published by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Joyce A. Martin, M.P.H., and Michelle J.K. Osterman, from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, examined changes in triplet and higher-order births from 1998 to 2023 using data from the National Vital Statistics System.

The researchers noted a decline in the triplet and higher-order multiple birth rate from 193.5 to 73.8 births per 100,000 total births from 1998 to 2023, with the largest declines from 2009 to 2023. The number of triplet and higher-order births declined from 7,625 to 2,653 from 1998 to 2023. During the study period, there were declines observed in the triplet and higher-order birth rates among White non-Hispanic and Hispanic mothers (71 and 25 percent, respectively), while an increase was seen in the rate for Black non-Hispanic mothers (25 percent). For all age groups from 20 years and older, triplet and higher-order birth rates decreased from 1998 to 2023; the largest declines were seen for mothers aged 30 years and older.

"The triplet and higher-order birth rate declined 62 percent from 1998 to 2023; the number of triplet births declined by a similar amount (64 percent), and the number of quadruplet and higher-order births declined by more than three-quarters (79 percent)," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Planned C-Section May Be Tied to Increased Risk for Leukemia in Offspring

MONDAY, July 7, 2025 -- Children born by planned cesarean section (CS) may have an elevated risk for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), which is driven by B-cell precursor ALL...

Long-Term Stroke Risk Higher for Women With Pregnancy Complications

THURSDAY, July 3, 2025 -- Women who experience five major adverse pregnancy outcomes have a higher long-term stroke risk, according to a study published online June 23 in the...

Arsenic Less Than EPA Maximum Contaminant Level Tied to Adverse Birth Outcomes

THURSDAY, June 26, 2025 -- Arsenic measured in public water systems at levels below the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's maximum contaminant level are associated...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.