A regional population-based Multiple Pregnancy Register was established in 1998, with the aim of collecting detailed information on multiple pregnancies to enable research into mortality and morbidity in multiples. Multiple pregnancies are notified to the Register as soon as they are detected, irrespective of whether they resulted in a spontaneous abortion, termination of pregnancy or registered birth. Nine hundred and twenty-six twin pregnancies were recorded during 1998-99, giving a twinning rate of 14.8 per 1000 maternities (rate at birth 13.0 per 1000 maternities). Sixty one per cent of twin pregnancies were detected before 13 weeks of gestation. Chorionicity was determined in 82.6% of 849 twin maternities with at least one stillbirth or livebirth. The fetal loss rate before 24 weeks of gestation was 10.5% (194/1852). The perinatal and infant mortality rates were 40.6 per 1000 births and 32.6 per 1000 livebirths respectively. A prospective Multiple Pregnancy Register not only allows monitoring of trends in multiple birth rates and mortality, but also etiological research and long-term follow-up studies.