In a variation on the theme of transferring fewer embryos to reduce high-order multiple pregnancies, an article in the January 2010 issue of Fertility & Sterility shows that transferring two instead of three embryos leads to equal success and a lower triplet rate.
In reviewing 145 frozen embryo transfers, doctors at the University of Connecticut found that transfer of two instead of three frozen embryos in patients less than 35 years old resulted in a significant decrease in multiple pregnancy rate without compromising pregnancy or live birth rate. Transferring additional embryos when a patient had an unsuccessful fresh cycle was not warranted. In the age group 35–39 years, transferring two instead of three embryos did not decrease pregnancy or live birth rate and had no effect on the risk of high-order multiples.
So even in frozen embryo cycles the trend is to transfer fewer embryos.
