Fertility experts have warned that the growing use of assisted reproductive technologies IVF and misuse of fertility drugs are contributing to a rise in higher-order multiple births in Nigeria.
The experts disclosed this in separate interviews with Punch Healthwise, noting that pregnancies involving triplets, quadruplets and quintuplets were becoming more common due to medical interventions rather than genetics alone.
They explained that although some parts of Nigeria, especially in the South-West, have historically recorded high twinning rates, the recent surge in higher-order multiples goes beyond natural factors.
According to them, unregulated fertility practices, including the transfer of multiple embryos during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and unsupervised use of ovulation-inducing drugs, are major contributors to the trend.
The President of the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health, Prof. Preye Fiebai, said Nigeria was already witnessing a gradual increase in pregnancies involving more than two babies.
Fiebai noted that limited national data due to poor reporting systems had made it difficult to determine the full scale of the trend, but available studies showed a steady rise in higher-order multiple births.
He cited a study reviewing 1,150 births over three years, which showed an increase in such births from less than 0.3 per cent in 2013 to about 0.7 per cent in 2017.
“In many developed countries, embryo transfer is strictly regulated, with a trend toward single embryo transfer, but in Nigeria there are reports of clinics transferring several embryos at once,” he said.
He warned that higher-order multiple pregnancies significantly increase health risks for both mothers and babies, including premature delivery, neonatal mortality and maternal death.
Fiebai also cautioned against the misuse of fertility drugs, noting that some medications were often obtained and used without proper medical supervision.
Also speaking, the Second Vice President of the Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria, Prof. Christopher Aimakhu, said the rise in multiple pregnancies was a global trend linked to assisted conception methods.
Aimakhu explained that ovulation-inducing drugs increase the number of eggs released, thereby raising the chances of multiple fertilisations.
He added that despite cultural acceptance of multiple births in some communities, the health complications associated with higher-order pregnancies remained significant.
The experts called for stricter regulation of fertility services, improved maternal healthcare and better monitoring systems to reduce complications associated with multiple births.
Focus keyphrase: IVF fertility drugs multiple births Nigeria
