Prague, Dec 24 (CTK) – The number of multiple births has been decreasing in the Czech Republic in the past few years and last year, 1630 twins and triplets were born in a country with 10.5 million inhabitants, according to a demographic booklet of the Czech Statistical Office.
There are 15 multiple births per 1000 childbirths now, while in 2010, it was 21.
Since the mid-20th century, quadruplets have been born 21 times and quintuplets only once.
Last year, 13 triplets and 1617 twins were born. The latest quadruplets were born in the Czech Republic in 2003, while the only Czech quintuplets came into the world ten years later, in June 2013. Since 2000, five quadruplets have been born in the country.
In the past 25 years, the highest number of triplets was born in 1997 (35), and the highest twin rate was in 2010 (2446).
In 1974, quadruplets were born four times in a single year. A total of 193,518 births were registered that year, which was the culmination of the baby boom in the 1970s under the communist president Gustav Husak. This is why the babies born then were called “Husak’s children.”
However, the Czech Lands experienced a baby boom in the post-war years as well. In 1950, there were 189,391 childbirths, while triplets were born in 21 cases and twins in 2222 cases.
In this century, the baby boom culminated in 2009 with 116,210 childbirths.
The number of multiple births started to rise in 1995. From the middle of the 20th century until then, there were between nine and 12 multiple births per 100 births. The highers multiple birth rate was in 2009-2010, 21 per 1000 births. Since then their number has started declining.
The higher number of multiple births, mainly of twins, was caused by a rising number of children born after assisted reproduction to couples with fertility troubles.
However, the situation has been changing. In the past, two and more embryos were transferred within the IVF to increase the chance of pregnancy, which caused the rise in risky multiple pregnancies, but now only one embryo is transferred successfully more and more often.
Under the law, which took effect in April 2012, health insurers cover four IVF attempts instead of three if only one embryo is transferred instead of two in the first two attempts. The VZP largest public health insurance company covers a major part of the IVF costs for women under 40, while other health insures have the age limit even lower.
The Bohemian-Moravian Association of the Twin and Multiple Births Clubs has complained recently that the state supports the families with twins and triplets less than those with two or three children who were born gradually. The parents of twins or triplets, their parents get one parental benefit only, while in the case of other children the benefit is paid for each child.
Data on multiple births in Czech Republic in selected years
Year Multiple births Number of multiple births per 1000 births
1950 2243 12
1970 1425 10
1990 1168 9
2000 1391 15
2001 1538 17
2002 1523 17
2003 1606 17
2004 1832 19
2005 1939 19
2006 2130 20
2007 2320 21
2008 2397 20
2009 2392 21
2010 2458 21
2011 2059 19
2012 1995 19
2013 1792 17
2014 1694 16
2015 1630 15
Source: Czech Statistical Office, demographic booklet
