nt from that in singletons and twins of the same weight (6). Whether or not it came from a multiple birth, any premature infant has a significantly higher risk than one carried to term. Preterm birth is associated with a clear increase of cerebral palsy. During the 1980s, there was an increase in the survival of very preterm babies which was accompanied by a sharp increase in the rate of cerebral palsy in this group (5). Through multiple birthing, birth complications, or early delivery, several common causes of premature birth, if a baby is born premature, it has a notably higher chance of being born with cerebral palsy.Babies in multiple births are in clearly higher numbers of the population with cerebral palsy. Because infants in multiple births are much more likely to be born prematurely, and premature babies are the most susceptible to be born with cerebral palsy, infants in multiple births have much higher chances of being born with cerebral palsy. Studies of large groups of children with cerebral palsy have noted an excess of twins. Although twins account approximately for 2% of the population, they account for 10% of all cases of cerebral palsy (4). A population report from 1956-1985 observed a prevalence of cerebral palsy in twins 2.6 times that in singletons and found it suggestive that triplets were at a higher risk (6). In the Australian study, twins were 4.6 times more likely to have cerebral palsy than singletons, and triplets were 17 times more likely. Triplet pregnancies produced a child with cerebral palsy 47 times more often than singleton pregnancies. Triplet gestations, however, were uncommon, and twins accounted for 86% of cerebral palsy among multiple births (6). These numbers show that multiple pregnancies possess a much greater probability of producing children with cerebral palsy.Through the use of fertilization techniques, multiple births have increased in numbers in the past 30 years. The average 5...
