The near elimination of triplets in IVF.
In Antwerp, single embryo transfers (SET) have increased, and this change in policy has seen the incidence of singletons rise from 70 to 90%, twins drop from 25 to 10%, and triplets drop from 1-2% to none at all. At a national and regional level, changes have been much more dramatic as a result of a change in the law in 2003 mandating SET. Data show a huge increase in the number of treatment cycles and a dramatic rise in SET. Rates of twins and triplets have dropped considerably. European data indicate wide differences in the incidence of triplets between countries, varying between 0% (e.g.Slovenia, Iceland, Lithuania) and 4.4% (Hungary), but almost nothing is known about the true incidence of fetal reduction. US data indicate some decrease in triplets during recent years, but certainly nowhere near elimination. These data suggest that in some countries, IVF triplets have almost been eliminated, but the problem is masked by significant fetal reductions. Where SET is not widely used, triplets are still frequent. A correlation appears to exist between the percentage of SET cycles and the incidence of triplets. It is suggested that the solution to almost totally eliminate triplets after IVF is single embryo transfer.
Gerris
Jan
J
Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Ghent, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. jan.gerris@ugent.be
D000328:Adult; D019924:Embryo Disposition; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D009099:Multiple Birth Offspring; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D018607:Pregnancy Reduction, Multifetal; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods; D014310:Triplets