Single Blastocyst Transfer Reduces Multiple Pregnancies
Author Information
Author(s): Khalaf Y, El-Toukhy T, Coomarasamy A, Kamal A, Bolton V, Braude P
Primary Institution: Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Hypothesis
The clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) would be maintained and the multiple pregnancy rate (MPR) would be significantly reduced after implementing a single blastocyst transfer (SBT) strategy.
Conclusion
Selective SBT in women with good prognosis can reduce the MPR after IVF while maintaining the overall success rate of the IVF programme.
Supporting Evidence
- The clinical pregnancy rate increased from 27% to 32% after the SBT strategy was implemented.
- The multiple pregnancy rate decreased from 32% to 17% following the introduction of SBT.
- The study included 2451 fresh IVF cycles over a 3-year period.
Takeaway
This study shows that transferring just one blastocyst instead of multiple embryos can help more women get pregnant while also reducing the chances of having twins or more.
Methodology
A 3-year pre- and postintervention study comparing IVF cycles before and after the introduction of a selective SBT service.
Potential Biases
Potential selection bias in choosing participants for the SBT strategy.
Limitations
The study was limited to a selected group of women with good prognosis and may not be generalizable to all IVF patients.
Participant Demographics
Women undergoing IVF at a tertiary reproductive medicine unit, specifically those with good prognosis.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.015
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.03–1.32
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website