Multiple pregnancies

Multiple pregnancies are significantly associated with higher rates of preterm birth and low birth-weight infants (less than 1,500 grams). A English study (United Kingdom Triplet Study, 1990) showed that 0.7% of the children were under 1,500 grams in singleton pregnancies, 9% in twins, 28.4% in triplets and 52.3% in quadruplets.

Complications in children born are also more important in number and severity in children from twin pregnancies and, a fortiori, triple or more. In Western Australia, the prevalence of cerebral palsy between 1980 and 1989 was 1/1000 in single-pregancy children, 9/1000 for twins and 25/1000 for triplets.

The costs of multiple pregnancies are also extremely high. This problem can be managed in IVF/ICSIFrom English "Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection." Assisted fertilization by microscope, where a single sperm is injected directly into the oocyte. ICSI is indicated in cases of male fertility problems, so if there are only very few normal sperm in the sperm or the fertilization capacity of sperm is extremely small. cycles by limiting the number of embryos transferred to two or even one. Indeed, an elective transfer of 3 embryos currently has no place in modern IVF treatment. Pregnancy rates obtained after the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos in some centers are close to those recorded after the transfer of fresh embryos.