To the government and fertility industry, large multiple births have begun to look like breakdowns in the system. The issue has taken on renewed scrutiny since a California woman, who already had six children conceived through in vitro procedures, gave birth to octuplets last month. Nearly a third of in vitro births involve twins or more. The government, along with professional associations, have been pushing fertility doctors to reduce that number, citing the disastrous health consequences that sometimes come with multiple births.