Russians Get Holiday to Multiply

Increased infertility treatments and older moms behind the rise

(NEWSER) - The number of twins has surged in the past 30 years, according to a new government study. The twin birth rate went from 189 out of 10,000 births (or 1 out of 53) in 1980 to 333 out of 10,000 births (or 1 out of 30) in 2009—a spike of 76%, reports MSNBC's Vitals blog . What's behind it? Experts point to an increased use of infertility treatments and to the growing number of women giving birth at a later age. More»

'I wasn't always there for them,' he told biographer

(NEWSER) - Steve Jobs authorized a biography of himself so his four kids could "know him," author Walter Isaacson reveals in Time . "I wasn't always there for them, and I wanted them to know why, and to understand what I did," Jobs told Isaacson in their final interview just weeks ago at Jobs' home in Palo Alto. Jobs was curled up in pain in a ground-floor bedroom because he could no longer walk upstairs. "His mind was still sharp and his humor vibrant," wrote Isaacson, whose book will be published later this month. More»

Kids stress us out—but we still find them rewarding

(NEWSER) - Ask parents if their children make them happy and they’ll likely say yes. So why does almost every study on the subject show that having children tends to make people less happy—and that, in fact, many parents love their kids but hate parenting? In an extensive New York article , Jennifer Senior explores how parenting, and Americans’ reasons for having children, have changed over the decades. More»

(NEWSER) - The latest trend in nomenclature rings false to at least one person who recently realized that "Mom" has become "the now generic name for every female parent in our country." Thinking it over, Anne Albeck dates the phenomenon to the early '90s, but familiarity—and overfamiliarity—really does breed contempt. "Being called Mom by everyone from the shoe store clerk to the pediatrician is a little too intimate for me," Albeck writes for the Chicago Tribune. More»

(NEWSER) - Families appear to be putting off that baby until economic conditions improve, the New York Times reports. The birth rate fell 2% in 2008 compared to 2007, and the trend looks to be continuing into 2009. “It’s the recession," a sociologist says. "Children are the most expensive item in every family’s budget, so it’s a good place to cut back when you’re uncertain about the future.” More»