Multiplicity

Newspaper Column Ad Appearing 11-20-02

According to the most recent annual report by the National Center for Health Statistics, which includes data from every live birth in 1996, a record 6,000 babies were born in sets of three, four, or more. (The number of twins also increased but not as dramatically as the other multiples.) The rate of multiple births has doubled since 1990, quadrupled since 1980, and is five times higher than it was in 1971 when a little over 1,000 babies entered the world with at least two companions. A major cause of this increase is use of fertility drugs and assisted reproductive techniques. Fertility drugs stimulate development of multiple eggs which may be released and result in multiple pregnancies. High-order multiple pregnancies should be considered as treatment failures since they may lead to multiple complications - both in the mother and in the babies. They can be prevented by a careful monitoring of the ovarian response to stimulation with hormone measurements and ultrasound. These tests can tell how many eggs are mature at any given time and the risk of multiple pregnancy can be minimized by decreasing the dose of fertility drugs and the length of stimulation. It is important that the results of these tests are available to your doctor on the same day so that he can make an appropriate decision regarding your treatment. It is a common misconception that ‘in vitro’ fertilization leads to multiple pregnancies. During ‘in vitro’ fertilization, the number of embryos transferred can be controlled and, in general, the number of babies cannot be larger than the number of embryos transferred. Our current policy is to transfer only between one and three embryos, depending on their quality and likelihood of implantation.

However, with so many women delaying motherhood until their professional lives are on-track, the number of women who conceive later in life with the help of fertility drugs and have twins, triplets, and more, will continue to increase. Multiple births can be a source of wonder and joy but, they also require special management. For a medical practice devoted to reproductive endocrinology, infertility, and assisted reproductive technology, call OAK BROOK FERTILITY CENTER, a place where dreams are conceived and hopes are delivered. New patients are welcome.

P.S. The report mentioned above also indicates that, overall, the number of pregnant women who smoke dropped to 13.6%, down from 20% in 1989.

© Copyright Oak Brook Fertility Center