[Increasing the cumulative live birth rate: Low-grade blastocysts, potential overlook]

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Medicine and Embryology
• Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
• In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Background:

• High-quality blastocyst transfer is standard practice in embryo transfer.
• Low-grade blastocysts are typically excluded due to perceived low implantation potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current literature on the outcomes of transferring low-grade blastocysts.
• To assess live birth and miscarriage rates associated with low-grade blastocyst transfers.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of publications from August 2017 to October 2023.
• Focused on studies reporting live birth rates and miscarriage rates for low-grade blastocysts (Gardner classification).
• Included 9 selected articles for analysis.

Main Results:

• Low-grade blastocysts demonstrated potential for live births, with rates varying between 5.97% and 40%.
• The transfer of these embryos resulted in the birth of healthy children.
• Miscarriage rates were also evaluated as part of the outcome measures.

Conclusions:

• Low-grade blastocysts can achieve successful live births and contribute to healthy offspring.
• Routine exclusion of low-grade blastocysts in assisted reproductive technology may be reconsidered.
• Further evaluation of these embryos could optimize treatment strategies and improve success rates.