Fertility doctors work to reduce ‘instant families’
(sz) For many couples with infertility problems, twins sound like a great deal. Doctors who treat them often say their patients describe a multiples pregnancy as an “instant family” or “two for the price of one.”
But what looks like a bargain to patients is seen as a complication by fertility doctors, who know that multiples pregnancies are risky for mothers and their babies. Multiples come with increased chances of birth defects, lung damage and neurological disorders, among other health troubles.
“Most people come in wanting multiples,” said Dr. Joseph Hill, the medical director of Fertility Centers of New England, a practice with offices in Bedford and Portsmouth. “It’s expensive, they want to get it done with. They want to do it once and be done with it.”
New research shows that if patients are willing to choose a particular fertility procedure called single-embryo transfer, they can virtually eliminate their chance of bearing twins or triplets. But persuading patients to sign up has been a challenge, many local infertility doctors said.
On the surface, it’s easy to see why patients might favor multiples. Infertility treatment, especially the in vitro fertilization procedures that Hill’s practice offers, are expensive and time-consuming. In New Hampshire, where insurers are not required to pay for infertility treatment, almost all patients must pay out-of-pocket for IVF treatments at a cost of $7,000 to $12,000 a month. Patients want to increase their odds that each round of treatment will end in pregnancy. If they’re hoping for two children eventually, why not have them at once, for one price tag? more…
From: »Conord Monitor« (online)