A new study recently published in the Journal of Pediatrics finds a major decrease in risk, as well as cost, if single embryo transfers are mandated for in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Dr. Keith Barrington and colleagues from the University of Montreal reviewed hospital records from one neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
They discovered that 82 infants (17 percent) admitted to the NICU during the two-year period were from multiple births resulting from some form of assisted reproductive technology. Of these, 75 were twins or triplets whose mothers used IVF.
"Among these 75 babies, there were 6 deaths, 5 babies who developed a brain bleed, and 4 babies who developed a potentially blinding eye condition,” noted Dr. Barrington.
If doctors were to transfer only one embryo at a time, according to Dr. Barrington, "Across Canada, there would be as many as 840 fewer babies admitted to the NICU, 40 deaths avoided, 46 fewer brain injuries, and 42,400 fewer days of NICU hospitalization."
The authors strongly advocate regulations restricting the number of embryos to be transferred during IVF.
"Since July 2010, all of the fertility centers in Quebec have adopted this approach, and preliminary results show that twin gestation rates have dropped from 30 percent to 3.8 percent."