Introduction

Everyone is familure with the phrase 'one in a million'. What if you weren't one in a million. What if there were two, three, or even four of you. In a society where individuality is key, how does a multiple find where they belong. Even if they aren't identical, how does one of...seven...feel just as special, needed, or loved as any other child. This webquest will help anyone interested understand multiples from many different perspectives. Possibly changing your views or at least getting you to think.

The Quest

How do multiples, parents of multiples, physicians, and socity feel about multiple births?

The Process and Resources

Phase 1 - Background: Something for Everyone

• Stats on Multiple Births - Offers information on how many sets of multiples were born in 2001. Also, the age and race of the mother.
• Facts About Multiples - This website offers information on every set of multiple births.
• The Ethical Issue - This website asks a question and presents it to society. It has the response to the question from both sides from people in society.

Phase 2 - Looking Deeper from Different Perspectives

This webquest can be used by groups or individuals who have an interest in multiple births. They can include a pysician, the child, parents of multiples and society itself.

Physician

#1. Medical Issues fo Multiple Births
1. What is TTTS?
2. What is the relationship between preeclampsia and multiple babies?
3. What are the effects of Vanishing Twin Sydrome?

#2. More Multiple Births With Better Survival
1. What can be done to maximize the survival rate of multiple births?
2. How have multiple birth rates changed in recent years?
3. How has fertility treatment affected the number of multiple births?

#3. Multiple births-their risks and how to prevent them
1. How do the number of babies born at one time effect the health of the babies as well as the mother?
2. What health issues effect perdominately multiples?
3. Are more babies in one go better for desperate parents-to-be considering the health risks?

• Medical Issues of Multiple Births - This website offers information on many of the different medical issues multiples can be presented. As if birth doesn't have complications as it is, the number of babies increases the risk.
• More Multiple Births With Better Survival - This website offers information on how the number of births to multiple infants has increased within the past two decades. The number has increased to fifty-nine percent. It also offers information on who and how many the rates have increased.
• Multiple births - their risks and how to prevent them - This website explains how simple concepts can be used to minimize the number of fetuses conceved when women opt for IVF.

A Multiple

#1. When You Are a Twin or Triplet
1. What is it like to be a multiple?
2. How many sets of multiples are born in a year?
3. Why is sibling rivalry an even bigger problem with multiples?

#2. The McCaughey Septuplets: Celebrity Profile
1. What are the septuplets suffering from due to their unique birth?
2. How are the septuplets expected to grow up?
3. If you were a multiple, how would you feel?

1.How does a multiple feel 'one in a million'?
2.How does a multiple make time for themselves?
3.How does a multiple feel about their unique situation?

• When You Are a Twin or Triplet. - This website is great for multiples who think they are alone and the only one with someone who shares their same birthday. It presents the pros and cons of having a twin and explains having a twin or triplet can be the best experience.
• The McCaughey Septuplets: Celebrity Profile - This article is out of the Ladies Home Journal. It explains the everyday life of the septuplets and their complications.

Parents of Multiples

#1. Coping with Multiple Infants
1.While preparing for multiples, what preparations, other than the usual, are needed.
2. What is the importance of a schedule?
3. Other than the physical, how are other aspects different?

#2. Expecting Twins? Bonding with Multiple Babies
1. How do parents bond with multiple infants?
2. How do parents treat multiples as individuals and not as a unit?
3. How does early diagnosis of a multiple preganacy help parents bond better with their babies?

#3. Maintaining the Marriage
1.How do multiple births effect marriages?
2. How is divorce linked to multiple birth families?
3. Are multiple birth families more likely to suffer from child abuse?

• Coping with Multiple Infants - This website offers help with everything having to do with multiples. It expands on the stress of having multiples, keeping records, bonding with multiple babies, and much more.
• Expecting Twins? Bonding with Multiple Babies - Finding out that you are having multiple infants as early as possible helps some parents bond with their babies better. Most parents will think of the babies as a unit first and then as individuals. Holding the babies one at a time call also help the bonding process.
• Maintaining the Marriage - This site offers information on how to deal with the stress of multiple infants and a marraige.

Society

#1. Selevtive Reduction: A Painful Choice
1. What is selective reduction?
2. How does society feel about selective reduction?
3. How are doctors trying to avoid multiple preganacies due to IVF?


#2. Dionne Quints
1. How has society changed their views on multiple births?
2. How do the Dionne quints feel about their past?
3. If the quints weren't treated as they were, would they have had the same emotional problems they had?


#3. Body & Mind
1. Is it worth the risk?
2. Should the families be screaned frist?
3. Should financial ability be taken into consideration?

• Selective Reduction: A Painful Choice - This site offers both sides of this heated subject. It's very informative, explaining the side of keeping the numbers of babies and reducing the number of babies to give the others a higher chance of a healthy birth.
• Dionne Quints - The Dionne quints were the first set of quints to survive more than a few days. They were put on display in the 1930s at a 'theme-park-like' site called Quintland.
• Body & Mind - This site will help explain why people take the risks multiple births come with.

Phase 3 - Debating, Discussing, and Reaching Consensus

Phase 4 - Real World Feedback

In order to implement this webquest complete the following.

Interview a parent of multiples to ascertain what coping skills they have learned.
Research selective reduction.
Research the health risks of multiple births.
Interview a multiple birth child and discuss the pros and cons of his/her unique situation.

Your Contact is: the designated contact

Conclusion

'One in a million' may be OK for some. Being a multiple has its advantages and disadvantages. Having that kind of connection with another person can be amazing. With society running hot and cold on the topic of multiple births, many people make it work.