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Related Experiment Videos

Single-embryo transfer.

M Dhont1

  • 1Ghent University Infertility Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ghent University Hospital, Gent, Belgium.

Seminars in Reproductive Medicine
|October 27, 2001
PubMed
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Single-embryo transfer significantly reduces twin pregnancies in assisted reproductive technology. This strategy lowers twin rates without impacting overall pregnancy success, offering a safer approach for patients undergoing in vitro fertilization.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Medicine
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Medical Ethics

Background:

  • Assisted reproductive technology (ART) frequently results in multiple pregnancies, leading to increased perinatal morbidity and costs.
  • Twin pregnancies, while less common than high-order multiples, contribute significantly to adverse perinatal outcomes and healthcare expenses.
  • Reducing multiple pregnancies is a critical goal in ART to improve patient safety and manage resources effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of elective single-embryo transfer (eSET) in preventing twin pregnancies among good-prognosis patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).
  • To compare pregnancy and twin rates between eSET and elective double-embryo transfer (eDET) in a selected patient group.
  • To analyze the impact of eSET on overall pregnancy rates and discuss its potential for large-scale implementation.

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Main Methods:

  • Prospective study involving good-prognosis patients (age <37, first two IVF cycles, at least two high-quality embryos).
  • Patients were offered eSET, with a subset agreeing to single embryo transfer in their first IVF cycle.
  • Comparison of pregnancy rates and twin incidence between eSET and eDET groups.

Main Results:

  • Pregnancy rates for eSET (37.9%) were comparable to eDET (40.0%) when at least two high-quality embryos were available.
  • The incidence of twin pregnancies was 0.0% in the eSET group versus 27.1% in the eDET group.
  • Implementing eSET reduced the overall twin pregnancy rate from 27.0% to 14.9% without compromising the overall pregnancy rate.

Conclusions:

  • Elective single-embryo transfer is an effective strategy for substantially reducing twin pregnancy rates in ART.
  • eSET can be safely implemented in good-prognosis patients, offering similar pregnancy success to eDET with drastically lower twin rates.
  • Further discussion and conditions are needed for the widespread adoption of eSET policies to mitigate risks associated with multiple gestations in IVF.