The Center for Disease sway and Pr...

The Center for Disease sway and Prevention (CDC) has released its report forward assisted reproductive technology (ART) performances conducted in the United States in 2002 Data for the report were argueed from nearly all U.S. medical center that provide fertility treatment, as mandated in 1992 through the Fertility Clinic Success rate and Certification Act. Analysis was carried without by treatment type (e.g., patient or donor stimulate freshly fertilized or thawed embryon number of embryos transferred) and patient characteristics (eg age, diagnosis, previous births or procedures) The findings will help prospective parents make informed decisions about treatment.

More than 115000 ART courses were performed in the United States in 2002 resulting in the births of 45751 infants. Because transfer of multiple beginnings remains common, more than the same half of infants born end ART are from multiple births, compared with 3 percent in the general population, and ART-born infants account for around 17 percent of all multiple births. The substantially increased risks of multiple births, of that kind as hemorrhage and hypertension in the mother and gentle birth weight, mortality, and long-term disability in the infants, must be taken into account when considering the use of ART treatment. In 2002 about 95 percent of triplets and higher multiples born between the sides of ART had a low birth weight, compared with 9 percent of single-birth infants; 97 percent of triplets and higher multiples were born preterm compared with 15 percent of single-birth infants.

Rates of pregnancy, live birth, and multiple births varied with patient and treatment factors. According to the CDC report, conducts using freshly fertilized embryos and donor incites yielded the highest rates of multiple births (42 percent) followed through procedures using freshly fertilized embryons and the patient's own harasss (35 percent). Procedures using freshly fertilized embryotics and donor eggs had around double the rates of pregnancy, live birth, and single-infant birth (58 50 and 29 percent respectively) compared with courses using thawed embryos and the patient's acknowledge eggs.

Factors powerfully associated with risk of multiple births included number of embryonates transferred and patient age. In women who used freshly fertilized embryouss from their own eggs, the principally common procedure--transfer of two or more embryos--increased the chances of live birth and the risk of multiple births; this risk varied with the patient's age. rates of live birth and multiple births increased with the number of germs transferred in women 41 to 42 years of age, and were higher with transfer of three or more beginnings in women 38 to 40 years of age. Women 37 years or younger had higher single-birth rates with transfer of couple embryos than with three.

Rates of live birth and multiple births in women who used freshly fertilized embryons from their own eggs decreased as patient age increased. Live birth rates decreased from 43 percent in women younger than 35 years to 7 percent in women older than 42 years (from 26 to 6 percent respectively, for single birth). Multiple birth rates decreased from 39 percent for women younger than 35 years to 7 percent for those older than 42 years.

The CDC report states that ART is a major risk factor for multiple births, and that efforts should be made to limit the number of embryouss transferred. In most instances this would minimize the risk of multiple births without lowering the chances of succes especially for younger women For this to become general practice, however, patients and physicians ne to view treatment succes in word s of single-infant pregnancies and births, which are measures of better patient outcomes

The report cautions that because the data are recorded by means of procedure rather than by patient, the analysis does not account for those patients whose attempts at pregnancy fail and who be exposed to more than one treatment by year; thus, the report may underestimate the per-patient succes rate.

COPYRIGHT 2005 American Academy of Family Physicians

COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group