The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has addressed the difficult issue of nonselective embryo reduction in multiple-embryo pregnancies with a new committee opinion (published in the April issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology) that reviews ethical considerations involved with the procedure.
According to ACOG, prevention of a multiple-embryo pregnancy during fertility treatment should be the first approach. One method of prevention is to limit the number of embryos transferred to the uterus after in vitro fertilization. Another is to choose not to trigger ovulation when ultrasonography indicates the presence of multiple follicles.
"Prevention is key," said Watson A. Bowes, Jr, MD, chair of ACOG's Committee on Ethics. "We now have an ever-increasing incidence of multiple gestation due to increased use of ART. More and more ob-gyns are being faced with situations where nonselective embryo reduction is an option. While most ob-gyns do not perform the procedure, . . . [Full Text of this Article]
