Twins are more common than they used to be.
That's the conclusion of an in-depth study published by researchers at the University of Oxford earlier this year, who brought together statistics from many sources to compile a comprehensive dataset of twinning rates across regions.
Why so many twins?
The increase in twinning rates, particularly in more developed countries, is largely down to advances in medically assisted pregnancies according to Christiaan Monden and his fellow researchers. In vitro fertilization, also known as IVF, is more likely to lead to twins, or even triplets+, as multiple embryos are often transferred into the uterus during each cycle.
If you fancy becoming a twins expert this weekend, check out the full study here.