Risks and Challenges

It should be noted that it is not always that in vitro fertilization procedure succeeds. Thus, in average pregnancy occurs in 30 cases out of 100, while the delivery of a baby at the end of pregnancy only in 24 out of 100 cases. In world practice, IVF birth rate is always lower than the pregnancy rate. That is an average index that 6% of pregnancies end with premature interruption.

The use of drugs before IVF may cause some side effects: hot flashes, fatigue, sleepiness, irritability, minor bleeding, and redness at the injection site. More serious situation is the emergence of a multiple pregnancy or ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome.

Multiple pregnancies. A feature of the IVF is a very high incidence of multiple pregnancies. If natural conception to born twins usually is about one at 70-80 of cases, one triple on 9000 births and one quadruplet on 50 000 births, after IVF multiple pregnancies, including twins, triplets and quadruplets, occurs in about 50% of all pregnancies.

Multiple pregnancies, especially during pregnancy more than two babies, create a high risk of complications for both mother and baby, as during pregnancy and also as during childbirth.

Nowadays there are developed some methods of removal (reduction) of "excess" embryos (more than two) under ultrasound guidance. In fact, the “extras” are not being removed. Special injections affect the embryo so that it is gradually dissipating. This procedure is usually being held between 7 to 11 weeks of pregnancy and is generally not accompanied by threatened abortion of other embryos. Often the resorption of “extras” happens by itself, without any intervention.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. In the treatment of infertility by IVF there may be a complication such as an ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Most often it is mild, but in some cases, especially when pregnancy may require a stationary stay in hospital and even a surgery. In some cases OHSS may cause to deaths, which, fortunately, are extremely rare.