One at a time

Many people are understandably very concerned about proposals to cut the number of multiple births after IVF, and there's a lot of online chat about the issue. Some patients are worried that everyone going through IVF is about to be forced into putting back just one embryo at a time.

What's actually happening is that clinics with very high multiple pregnancy rates are being asked to try to lower them. Putting back one embryo at a time is never going to be a good idea for everyone, but in the right patients it can mean reducing the risk of twins without reducing the chances of pregnancy.

One study estimated that at least 220 babies die each year in the UK as a result of multiple births after assisted conception, twins are far more likely to be born prematurely and there are often other complications for both mother and babies. This is why high twin rates are such a worry.

If you want to know more about the issue, there's a new website with all the relevant information on the subject, not just for patients, but also for professionals, too. It's www.oneatatime.org.uk