Reproductive Partners Medical Group has created the Elective Single Embryo Transfer (eSET) Encouragement Program to provide a financial incentive for patients with good embryo quality and a good prognosis for success to consider reducing the chance of twins by transferring a single embryo.
Reducing the number of multiple pregnancies, even twin pregnancies, is one of the biggest issues in advanced reproductive technology today. Couples with fertility problems often assume that they can double their chances for a healthy baby by transferring two embryos instead of just one. But, data published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that what they're really doing is increasing their odds of having multiples, which is riskier for the mother and babies alike.
Pregnancies involving multiples, including twins, come with a greater risk of gestational diabetes, bleeding and preeclampsia for the mother, and cerebral palsy, birth defects, developmental delays and death for the babies. Twins usually survive, but incur higher medical expenses in the first five years of life.
Yet, despite the risks involved in transferring multiple embryos, couples must weigh this decision against both the chance of a failed cycle and the costs incurred by starting another fresh or frozen embryo cycle. For patients who qualify, the eSET Encouragement Program reduces the economic rationale for transferring more than one embryo.
For more information please visit our Elective Single Embryo Transfer (eSET) Encouragement Program page.