Quality, not quantity
Britons don’t think infertility matters. That is why so many end up with twins
(sz) TO THE one British couple in seven that has problems conceiving, twins sound like a dream come true. So when would-be parents turn to in vitro fertilisation (IVF), they almost always opt to have as many embryos returned to the womb as they are legally allowed (two, or three if the woman is over 40), even though they know that multiple births are especially risky. The result is that two-fifths of IVF babies are twins. And fertility treatment is now so common that it is distorting the nation’s demographics (see chart): around a quarter of all twins have been conceived in a petri dish.
Sharing a womb is not an ideal start to life. Twins who survive their much higher rates of miscarriage are often born early and small, which puts them at higher risk of cerebral palsy, low IQ and even death during their first year. Their expectant mothers are more prone to high blood pressure, diabetes and heart problems. Around half of all twins are transferred to intensive-care units soon after birth.
Now the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which licenses fertility clinics in England and Wales, has decided enough is enough. On April 4th it started a three-month consultation on changes in the way fertility treatment is carried out. The new rules, due to come into force in October, aim to halve the number of twin IVF pregnancies. more…
From: »The Economist« (from the print edition)