From Jan 1, 2013 – June 30, 2013: RSC pregnancy rates for women under the age of 38 transferring a single blastocyst embryo have been 74 percent. When two blastocyst embryos were transferred in this same age group pregnancy rate was 77 percent (little difference) with half of those pregnancies twins (too high!).

With embryos from an egg donor, pregnancy rates transferring two blastocyst embryos have been 90 percent with 33 percent of those pregnancies twins, and transferring a single blastocyst embryo pregnancy rates have been 73 percent.

Clinical Pregnancy Rate per Embryo Transfer

	1 Embryo Transfer (ESET)	2 Embryos Transferred
IVF < 38 Years Old	74%	77% (50% twins)
Egg Donation Recipient	73%	90% (33% twins)

 

Though many patients going through infertility treatment say they really want twins, twin pregnancies are higher risk than single pregnancies. They are particularly at risk for premature labor and delivery. Twins are born on average 4-5 weeks before the calculated due date (nine months), but can be born much earlier. With early delivery the babies are at much greater risk of having problems with their lungs, heart, eye sight, and other developmental abnormalities. They often require hospitalization in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for sometimes weeks or months. Many obstetricians will also require that patients with twin pregnancies go on bed rest for the last 2-3 months of the pregnancy.

In our center we hear reports from patients almost every month about their twins being born very prematurely, having significant problems and sometimes even dying.

Because of this, we feel a single healthy pregnancy is the best outcome from IVF.

At RSC our experienced and highly successful laboratory has allowed us to recommend single embryo transfer for many IVF patients. Best candidates for ESET (Elective Single Embryo Transfer) are women under the age of 38 or egg donation recipients, who have multiple high quality blastocysts (day 5 embryos) available for transfer.

In addition these patients have blastocyst embryos frozen, and at RSC our pregnancy rates with frozen embryos are almost the same as with fresh embryos. So they have extra embryos for a future pregnancy, or if they do not get pregnant on the first try, they can try again at a much lower cost.

At RSC we feel comfortable recommending a single embryo transfer to many patients because our experience and success allow us to do so without compromising your chance for pregnancy. And by transferring only one embryo we can help improve the chance that your pregnancy will be a lower risk single pregnancy, with the goal of having a healthy baby.