Final Podcast - History & Study of Multiple, Madeline Barrow

This podcast episode explores the history and study of multiples, focusing on the personal experience of the host who is a quadruplet. The episode discusses the data on multiple births, including the rarity of having triplets, quadruplets, and quintuplets. The host also shares her own family's experience and the unique bond she shares with her siblings. The episode delves into the history of multiples, the supernatural beliefs surrounding their birth in ancient times, and the record for the most babies born at once. The science and data behind multiples are explained, including the difference between fraternal and identical twins, and the factors that can increase the chances of having multiples. The episode concludes by inviting listeners to learn more about multiples and upcoming episodes on the subject. Hello, everybody, and welcome to the History and Study of podcast. My name is Madeline Barrow, and today we are diving deep into the history and study of multiples. In this episode, we will learn about the history, science, data, and realities of multiples as we explore all that goes into having a built-in best friend or two. I hope you'll stick around as we pore over all that's entailed in being a multiple and how that relates to you, as well as my own personal experience on this topic. Join us as we continue our series covering the history and study of multiples. Today's topic is near and dear to my heart, as I myself am a multiple. I'll start with my own personal ties with the subject and why I believe this is such a fascinating topic to study, no matter who you are. I have an older sister, and I myself am a part of a set of all-girl quadruplets. Growing up as one of five girls was one of my favorite parts of my childhood. Every day was pure joy and chaos. We are all very close, and we have a unique bond. The five of us grew up very tight-knit, but it definitely helped to have an older sister who paved the way. After my sister went off for college, it was just the four of us at home for a couple years, and then once the four of us went off for college, my parents' house definitely got quiet. My older sister and one of the quads go to the same university now in our hometown, while the other two quads go to the same university together in Denton, Texas. Meanwhile, I'm here studying at the University of Arizona. It was certainly a challenge going to college and being so far apart, but we are definitely still very close. While of course my mom was not planning on having quadruplets, I think she was born to be a quad mom. So let's get into the data. You might have seen shows such as OutDaughtered, or John and Kate Plus 8, or even 19 Kids and Counting, but what you might not know is that sets of multiples like these are actually more common than you'd think. About 97% of multiple births are twins, however, your chances of having triplets are only one in 7,000. Quadruplets are about one in 700,000 to one million, and quintuplets are about one in 60 million. While this might not seem very likely, I personally know at least three other sets of quadruplets just in my hometown. In fact, the first babysitting gig I ever got was for a family my mom came to know who also had a set of quadruplets and an older toddler. When that mom found out she was pregnant, my mom was sort of a guide on life with quadruplets and a toddler for her. While it's been really fun having a unique family and sharing my viewpoint, you might be wondering, how does this relate to me? Maybe you're just curious to learn more about an unfamiliar topic. Maybe you're inquisitive about your twin cousins, or perhaps you're interested in the likelihood of having your own set of multiples one day. Either way, let's begin with the history and study of multiples. First, history. The earliest known record of multiples dates to about 31,000 years ago after the excavation of an upper Paleolithic site in Austria, which uncovered the remains of twin boys. In ancient times, the birth of twins or multiples were regarded as supernatural or of witchcraft, while at other times they were believed to symbolize the dualistic nature of the universe, the opposing spirits of good and evil. Today, the record for most babies born during one birth is nine. Born in 2021, the world's first set of surviving non-uplets was born in Morocco. Now let's get into the science and data. While there are many different ways that multiples are born, the most common is fraternal twins, which depends on genetics, whereas identical twins do not. Only about one-third of all twins in the world are identical. If you or members of your family are multiples, you're more likely to have multiples. This is, in most cases, due to genetic hyperovulation, a physical requirement to have fraternal multiples. While you can try to have multiples intentionally through fertility treatments, the most common way that multiples form is when multiple eggs are released and fertilized by multiple different sperm, resulting in fraternal multiples. Identical multiples occur when an egg splits during fertilization and is fertilized by only one sperm. Occasionally, as seen in some cases of triplets or quadruplets, one egg can split and be fertilized by one sperm, which results in two identical babies, while another egg or two is fertilized at the same time. This results in two identical triplets or quadruplets, while one or two fraternal. Fraternal multiples are multizygotic, while identical are monozygotic. The average gestation for twin pregnancy is 35 1⁄2 weeks. Triplets are about 33 weeks, and quadruplet pregnancy is 28 to 31 weeks, all opposed to the typical 40. My mom had a same-gender, multizygotic, 31-week pregnancy, with each of us born under 3 pounds, two months in the NICU. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the birth rate for multiples has risen since 1980, but has slowed down since 1998. So what factors could increase your chance of having multiples in the future? While many factors are linked to having a multiple pregnancy, the most common naturally occurring factors include heredity, or your family's history of multiples, which raises your chances of multiples. Age also plays a role in your chances. People assigned female at birth who are older than 30 have a greater chance of having a multiples pregnancy. For me, my mom was 33. Your past pregnancy status also increases your chances. Having one or more previous pregnancies, especially another multiple pregnancy, also raises your chances. My mom was actually pregnant with twins when she had my older sister, but the boy twin unfortunately passed away late term. Therefore, this increased her chances of having multiples later on. Interestingly enough, though, your race also plays a role in your odds. African American people assigned female at birth are more likely to have twins than any other race. Asian Americans and Native Americans have the lowest rate for twins or multiples. White people assigned female at birth have the highest rate of higher order multiples births, meaning triplets or higher, which is especially true for those over 35. So whether you're a multiple yourself, or are just curious about learning something new, I hope this episode was helpful to you while learning about the history and study of multiples. Don't forget to tune in next week for the latest episode, and thanks for listening.