DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2019.v07i02.003

Pages: 46-50

The Yorubas of Western Nigeria have been reputed to have one of the highest rates of multiple births of 68.1 twins per 1000 live births. In Calabar, the rate of multiple births was 26.5 per 1000 live and there is no published report of twin births in Northern Cross River. Data on human multiple birth were collected from hospitals records (2000-2010) in the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar and the Roman Catholic Mission Hospital Moniaya, Ogoja. Analysis of data collected showed that Calabar and Ogoja had a mean annual incidence of 24.6 and 35.2 twin births per 1000 live births, corresponding to a ratio of 39.9 and 27.4 single births per twin delivery respectively. Multiple birth incidences were found to be higher in October and January for Ogoja and Calabar (46.6 and 36.5 twin births per 1000 respectively). While the least incidence was found in September (20.6 and 15.1 twin births per 1000 respectively). Generally, it was evident that Ogoja had a higher incidence of human twin births than Calabar. This information adds to existing information on twin births.