Can a Woman With PCOS Have Multiple Births?

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) leads to a lack of ovulation in addition to a range of other symptoms. Women with PCOS have an increased chance of multiple births at each pregnancy, and the chance increases with the use of fertility medication.

  1. Significance

    • Women with PCOS who are able to get pregnant have a 7 to 10 percent greater chance of having multiple births than women who do not have the condition, notes Washington University's Infertility and Reproductive Medicine Center.

    Considerations

    • Women with PCOS are often given the fertility medication clomiphene citrate to help treat their lack of ovulation when trying to get pregnant. Women who take the medication have a 20 to 25 percent higher-than-average chance of having multiple births, according to Washington University.

    Warning

    • Women with PCOS who are expecting a multiple birth are at a greater chance for certain pregnancy complications, notes the National Women's Health Information Center website. Complications include miscarriage, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, early delivery, newborn death or a stay in the neonatal intensive care unit.

    2. Previous:

    Next:

    • Bringing Your Newborn Twins Home From the Hospital
      The day has finally arrived! Your twins are here and you’re ready to welcome them into your home and family. During the long months of pregnancy, it may have felt like this moment would never come. A twin or multiple pregnancies can be fraught wit
    • Can Twins Switch Sides in the Womb?
      If you’ve got two buns in the oven, you might feel jabs and kicks in every direction. As you watch and feel your belly move about, you might wonder whether they are wrestling, doing somersaults and switching sides in there. Even with all of tho
    • Are Twins and Multiples Built-In Buddies?
      There are many wonderful things about having multiples in the family. One of the most fun is the "built-in buddy" factor. There are many occasions when having a same-age sibling is an advantage, not just for the twins themselves, but also