The National Research Council states that, “given current demographic trends, nearly one in five U.S. residents will be of Hispanic origin by 2025“, and according to the U.S. Census Bureau, “47.8 million Hispanics will be living in the U.S. by the end of 2010.” Hispanics are the largest ethnic group living in the United States and the numbers are increasing each year. The Hispanic population is increasing in way that might be unexpected to some–the births of multiples.
The rates of twins born to Hispanic women are 21.8 per 1,000 births, which have multiplied over the last several years. (National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol 57. No. 7, January 7, 2009). However, with the increase of multiples births in Hispanic women, there has not been an increase of information offered to Hispanic parents of multiples. For example, a Google search will not furnish quality resources for Hispanic parents. An inquiry into “Hispanic Mothers of Multiples or Latin Mothers of Multiples” does not produce any parenting information in English or Spanish. The care and development of raising multiples is different than raising a singleton (one child born during a pregnancy). Starting from high risk prenatal care to nurturing the special bonds multiples siblings share, the parenting of multiples requires not only love but substantial information.
Bilingual parenting resources are needed since the upbringing of multiples requires various skills and ingenuity. Common questions that all parents of multiples share begin with how to feed more than one newborn simultaneously and if parents of multiples have the legal right to decide if their children can be in the same classroom throughout their school years. I hope to provide useful information to parents in Mami & The Multiples in a small effort to assist Hispanic parents and all families of multiples. It is my sincere desire that information disseminated from parenting experts, doctors, and multiples’ clubs will be widely available in bilingual and Spanish format.
Thanks so much for sharing this. I had no idea there was such a shortage of information available for Hispanic parents of multiples. Sounds like you’d better start writing a book for them!
Congrats on your new blog! This is so exciting. I really enjoyed reading that stats about hispanic parents of multiples – fascinating. I think you found a real niche there (and are the “real deal” yourself … living it, loving it and blogging about it!).
I awarded you a Beautiful Blogger award over at my personal blog: http://www.prologuetoatwinsblog.blogspot.com
Congrats!
Shelby