Multiple Births: Bundles of Joy

Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff Updated by an Factmonster Editor on February 21, 2017

The Numbers

Numbers of triplet, quadruplet, quintuplet and other higher order multiple births: United States 1989-94

Year	Triplets	Quadruplets	Quintuplets and other higher order multiples	Triplets as percent of all triplet and other higher order multiple births
1994	4,233	315	46	92%
1993	3,834	277	57	92
1992	3,547	310	26	91
1991	3,121	203	22	93
1990	2,830	185	13	93
1989	2,529	229	40	90

Are these medical miracles, or signs of an alarming trend in reproductive science? Here some facts to help you decide.

Multiple Facts:

Average weight of a singleton newborn: 7 pounds, 6 ounces (3,358 grams).
Average weight of a triplet newborn: 3 pounds, 12 ounces (1,698 grams).
Infant death rate for a singleton: 7.8 per 1,000.
Infant death rate for a triplet: 93.7 per 1,000.
Triplet infants are 12 times more likely to die during the first year than a singleton infant.

Infant Mortality Rates
The 5 leading causes of death for singleton, and triplet and other higher order multiple births (Rates are per 100,000 live births)

Cause of Death	Triplets	Singletons
Newborn affected by maternal complications of pregnancy	2,810.2	17.2
Respiratory distress syndrome	1,824.8	60.2
Disorders relating to short gestation and unspecified low birthweight	729.9	84.2
Congenital anomalies	700.7	189.0
Sudden infant death syndrome	255.5	129.4

Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Center for Health Statistics

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