Twin parents: More mental health symptoms

BARCELONA, Spain, July 8 (UPI) -- Mothers and fathers of twins suffer more mental health symptoms, Finnish researchers said.

However, the mothers of assisted reproductive technology twins had fewer symptoms of depression before the birth than did mothers of twins conceived spontaneously.

"This may be due to better counseling and preparation of infertile couples for twins," Dr. Leila Unkila Kallio of Helsinki University Central Hospital, said in a statement. "The good mental health during pregnancy may also reflect the couples' satisfaction with successful treatment and fulfillment of hopes for parenthood."

After birth, fathers of twins in both groups showed more depression, anxiety, social dysfunction and sleeping problems than did fathers of singletons, the study said.

The researchers studied ART parents of 91 twins and 367 singletons and control parents of 20 twins and 379 singletons conceived spontaneously: in the second trimester, when the children were 2 months old and when they were 1 year old.

The researchers found that ART mothers of twins had lower mean averages of depressive symptoms than the control mothers of twins, but similar levels to the ART and control mothers of singletons.

The findings were presented at the 24th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Barcelona, Spain.