 News
4th April 2007
Call for cut in twin IVF births
The Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has called for the
number of twins born from IVF to be cut.
The fertility watchdog says as treatment has become more successful the
number of multiple births has increased, with twins accounting for 40
per cent of IVF babies.
The HFEA says that twin pregnancies pose a risk to both mother and babies
and have launched a consultation to find ways to cut the number of IVF
twin births.
More than half of twin births result in low birth weight babies born
prematurely. They are more likely to need specialist care in the early
months of life and can have poorer health throughout life.
The chances of severe disability such as cerebral palsy are also higher
in twins.
HFEA chairman Shirley Harrison said these risks are avoidable, as are
the deaths of some premature babies.
"Doing nothing is not an option. The latest figures show 126 IVF babies
die each year because they have been born as twins not single babies.
We can't let that continue," she said.
The HFEA have posed four options to reduce the number of twins born by
IVF. These include;
- Making parents more aware of the risks of multiple births
- Guidelines for implanting only one embryo
- Posing a 10 per cent limit of multiple births in clinics
However, the HFEA has stressed that any plans will have to take into
account the individuality of each couple seeking IVF. For example, it
would be unlikely that older women who had already been through many IVF
attempts would be restricted to one embryo.
Most specialists are in favour of change.
Mr Yacoub Khalaf, the head of the assisted conception unit at Guy's and
St Thomas' Trust said, "We are already achieving great successes by replacing
only single embryos in many of our suitable patients.
"In the last year our overall pregnancy rate has risen and our multiple
pregnancy rate has been reduced."
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