Friday, November 18, 2016
Some I.V.F. Experts Discourage Multiple Births
New York Times (Oct. 10, 2016): Some I.V.F. Experts Discourage Multiple Births, by Jane Brody:
In vitro fertilization has many happy stories to recommend it, but it fails more often than it succeeds. Among its other problems is the high incidence of multiple pregnancy, a result of the practice of placing two or more embryos into the uterus in each cycle, in the hopes of achieving success. High-order births are associated with a host of problems, including poor health and development delays, not to mention the threat to the health of a woman who carries a multiple pregnancy to term and is faced with prospect of parenting more than one infant after birth. In the United States, 41.1 percent of all I.V.F. births are multiples.
New research shows that single-embryo transfer in women younger than 38 "resulted in a marked reduction in multiple birthrates but no decline in live birthrates." With education and an insurance industry more willing to cover the costs of I.V.F., the rate of multiple births could decline. The infertility industry, however, still thirsty for statistics that will attract consumers, continues to shun single-embryo transfer.
https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/reproductive_rights/2016/11/some-ivf-experts-discourage-multiple-births.html