ND Stands Third in Plural Births

North Dakota mothers are more apt to have plural births (twins and triplets) than are the mothers in any other state of the union except Arkansas and Wyoming, reports Dr. J. M. Gilette, University of North Dakota sociology department head.

Dr. Gilette also found that in 1939, though the birth rate was less in North Dakota than in Montana or Minnesota, twin births occurred much more frequently than in the two neighboring states. South Dakota, with about the same population as North Dakota, had both fewer births and fewer twins.

The UND sociologist is attempting to find out why some states have more plural births than others and whether plural births are associated with racial stocks. Last year 179 cases of twins were reported in North Dakota by the U.S. Census.

Dr. Gillette commented that in the United States during 1939 twins occurred once in 47 births, triplets once in 9,000 births and quadruplets once in 1,132,794 births. Illinois and Texas were the only states to have quadruplets; there were 24,908 cases of twins and 274 cases of triplets. The total number of new arrivals was 2,265,588.

Mouse River Farmers Press, 12/5/1940