[Giving birth to three or more children. Experiences and needs of the parents]

Offering in vitro fertilization (IVF-treatment) to couples who are involuntarily childless has been a help to many. At the same time it has augmented the number of multiple pregnancies. We know little about how parents experience having three or more children (multiplets) simultaneously. In order to shed light on this question a questionnaire was sent to families who had had multiplets during the years 1988-92 at the National Hospital and Ullevål Hospital, both in Oslo. 21 families completed and returned the questionnaire. The families reported that the birth of multiplets had caused practical and economic hardship. 86% of the families felt they needed more help and relief than they had received. It seems that the IVF-pregnancies were followed more closely than spontaneous multiple pregnancies. The results emphasize the importance of reducing the number of fertilized eggs per IVF-trial in order to avoid multiple pregnancies and negative consequences for children and parents.