Most doctors will advise women pregnant with twins that their pregnancies are at a higher risk for complications and premature birth of the babies. Pregnancies are also riskier in general for women over 35, because the risk of common complications such as pre-eclampsia (especially if it is a first pregnancy) and diabetes go up, along with the risk of genetic abnormalities. Taller and heavier women tend to conceive twins more often, probably because their body size allows for the growth of twins. While being tall has little effect on a pregnancy, shorter, petite women may find that a twin pregnancy puts a higher strain on their bodies. Women who are obese when they become pregnant (with twins or single babies) are at a higher risk for complications, and should consult their doctors about recommended weight gain during the pregnancy. read more

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New data, generated in mice by Richard Proia and colleagues at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, provides a potential reason for early pregnancy loss in humans. Female mice lacking a protein known as sphingosine kinase 1 (Sphk1) and expressing reduced levels of Sphk2 (Sphk1-/-Sphk2+/- mice) were found to be infertile. In particular, there was increased death of decidual cells and breakage of decidual blood vessels, which led to hemorrhaging and early pregnancy loss. As Sphk1 and Sphk2 are involved in metabolizing a group of fats known as sphingolipids, the authors suggested that disturbances in sphingolipid metabolism might be a cause of early pregnancy loss in humans. read more

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