IVF doctors told to avoid multiple births
(sz) A cap will be set on the number of twins and triplets fertility clinics are allowed to produce in an attempt to reduce risky multiple pregnancies, The Daily Telegraph has learned.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority will publish on Monday the conclusions of its consultation on how to reduce the number of multiple pregnancies, which pose an increased risk to the mother and babies.
The HFEA is understood to be backing away from the introduction of immediate guidelines on which women should have only one embryo implanted at a time and instead favours plans to allow clinics to set out their own measures to reduce multiple pregnancies.
Some experts have called for the multiple pregnancy cap for clinics to be set at 10 per cent, but it is thought that the HFEA will set a more generous limit to begin with.
The policy on whether to move to single embryo transfer for certain patients will be kept under review and further changes may be added later, it is understood.
Parents have raised concerns that limiting certain couples, those aged less than 35 for example, to having only one embryo implanted in each cycle of treatment would reduce their chances of conceiving and raise the cost because they would have to undergo repeated treatments. more…
From: »The Daily Telegraph«