More Families Opting for Single-Embryo IVF Transfers, May Leave More Embryos in Cold Storage

When in vitro fertilization was in its infancy, doctors increased a couple’s chances of successful pregnancy by transferring multiple embryos at once. While this increased the chance of a woman becoming pregnant, but it also increased her chance of becoming pregnant with multiple babies. However, today more and more couples are opting for single-embryo transfers during their IVF treatment, thanks in part to the better testing procedures, but more often due to higher costs and risks of complications to both the mother and babies in cases of multiples.

 A study published this month in JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Pediatrics found that twins are "3.4 times more likely to be stillborn and 6.4 times more likely to die within 28 days of birth." For “higher order multiples,” meaning triplets, quads, and more, the risks were even higher. For families who have already struggled with infertility or miscarriage, those numbers are terrifying. Because IVF treatments contribute to the increased chance of multiples, researchers are encouraging IVF doctors and patients to use a single-embryo transfer protocol as a way of preventing multiple births, lowering healthcare costs and risks to both mother and child.

In theory, IVF doctors should be able to decrease the number of embryos created for the procedure as their screening abilities increase and families shy away from the cost and risk of multiple births. Until then, families will need to consider their options when it comes to their remaining embryos. Embryo donation is one option that is available, allowing other couples struggling to become parents to bring life into the world through the gift of your donation.

If you’d like to learn more about embryo donation and how it works, visit EmbryoAdoption.org.

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