Some studies reveal that multiple pregnancies cost five times more than single pregnancies, and up to 20 times more in the case of triplets

A study of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology published in 2013 revealed an interesting fact about multiple pregnancies in the United States, a multiple pregnancy of twins costs around five times more than a regular one. If the pregnancy is of triplets, the costs can amount to 20 times that of a single fetus pregnancy.

Leer en español: Tener gemelos: más que solo dos veces más caro

From there, the costs of raising twins can be similar to having two children with one or two years of difference between pregnancies. However, at least during pregnancy and childbirth, the cost of having twins is not achieved simply by multiplying the costs of a single pregnancy by two.

A riskier pregnancy brings higher costs

The reason why a multiple pregnancy of any kind costs so much more than a single one, according to the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, has to do with the risks of multiple pregnancy, which generally exceed those of a single pregnancy.

First, both mothers and babies have an increased risk of mortality during and immediately after pregnancy, which implies closer medical follow-up. In addition, the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology study found that the incidence of disorders and health impairments during pregnancy is considerably higher during a multiple pregnancy, which will also lead to more visits to the doctor, increasing costs.

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Like pregnancy, the birth of a multiple pregnancy should also be treated with particular attention due to the high risks involved. According to studies published in the British Medical Journal, one of the ways in which complications during delivery can be minimized for multiple pregnancies is that they take place between the 36th and 37th week of pregnancy, almost one month before 40 weeks considered normal for simple pregnancies.

Consequently, to ensure that the twins can be born between week 36 and 37, doctors suggest a caesarean section in these cases. In itself, a cesarean is more expensive than a vaginal delivery, but when it comes to two babies, the high risk of complications can bring additional costs.

Finally, the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology study found that babies born from multiple pregnancies are more likely to end up in neonatal intensive care units and stay in incubators longer.

With all this in mind, it should not be surprising that a multiple pregnancy results in a hospital bill five times more expensive in the case of twins and up to 20 times higher in the case of triplets. In the United States, all costs associated with pregnancy and childbirth in the case of a single pregnancy are around $ 21,000 dollars. In the case of twins, this cost amounts to an average of $ 104 thousand dollars, and, in the case of triplets, to $ 407 thousand dollars.

LatinAmerican Post | Pedro Brenal
Translated from “Tener gemelos: más que solo dos veces más caro”

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