Number of embryos for transfer following in-vitro fertilisation or intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection

The use of single embryo transfer in a fresh in vitro fertilisation cycle results in lower livebirth rates with much lower rates of multiple pregnancy than double embryo transfer, but subsequent transfer of a frozen embryo appear to provide outcomes that are comparable with one fresh cycle of double embryo transfer.

A Cochrane review included 14 studies with a total of 2165 participants. The difference in cumulative livebirth rates (CLBR) after repeated single embryo transfer (SET) compared to double embryo transfer (DET) was not statistically significant (OR OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.62; 3 studies, n=811, I²=0%, low quality evidence). This suggests that for a woman with a 40% chance of live birth following a single cycle of DET, the chance following repeated SET would be between 30% and 42%. The live birth rate (LBR) per woman in a single fresh treatment was higher following DET than SET (OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.68 to 2.57; 9 studies, n=1564, I²=0%, high quality evidence). The multiple pregnancy rates (MPR) was significantly higher in the DET group (OR 30.54, 95% CI 7.46 to 124.95, 3 RCTs, n = 811, I²=23%, low quality evidence).

Ədəbiyyat

1. Pandian Z, Bhattacharya S, Ozturk O, Serour G, Templeton A. Number of embryos for transfer following in-vitro fertilisation or intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2009;(2):CD003416 [Review content assessed as up-to-date: 17 July 2012].