TWINS, TRIPLETS

How common are multiple births here?

- Theresa Tan Senior Social Affairs Correspondent

Ms Janice Chen and her husband Ng Han Siang, with their 16-month-old triplets (from left) Jie Rui, Jie Le and Pei Xuan. An analysis of data from 1994 to 2024 showed that higher-order multiple births, such as triplets and quadruplets, in Singapore have fallen significantly over the years. Advancement in in-vitro fertilization laboratory techniques is a reason for the decline, say doctors.

(ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM)

When banking professional Ng Han Siang and his wife Janice Chen married nine years ago, having children was not part of their immediate plans. They later decided to have one child.

"I was scared I would regret missing out on the joy of having children," said Ms Chen, 42, who used to work in the banking sector.

What they did not expect was to have their wish granted threefold. On her first round of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) at the age of 40, she conceived triplets, after having two embryos, or fertilised eggs, placed in her womb.

Today, she and her husband are the proud parents of a girl named Pei Xuan and two boys, Jie Rui and Jie Le.

The Ng triplets were among 12 sets born in 2024 here, the highest number since 2017, when the same figure was recorded. In 2023, eight sets of triplets were born, and there were six sets in 2022.