California State’s Medical Board decision to revoke the license for five years of Dr. Michael Kamrava, the physician who famously implanted fourteen embryos in “Octo Mom” Nadya Suleman, reopens the discussion of responsible embryo transfers for IVF patients.
The American Fertility Association’s recent release of the video “How Many is Too Many? Responsible Embryo Transferring” addresses this concern. In the video, Lowell T. Ku, M.D. of Dallas IVF, a member of the Attain Fertility® Network, explains the importance of limiting the number of embryos transferred to a woman’s uterus and how to avoid the risks associated with conceiving high order multiples. The video and fact sheet were produced by The American Fertility Association (http://theafa.org/), with funding from Attain Fertility Centers, an IntegraMed Specialty and provider of the Attain® IVF Programs.
“Many couples who struggle with infertility would welcome any kind of pregnancy, including twins,” says Dr. Ku. “However, our goal is one healthy baby at a time.” When couples choose Elective Embryo Transfer to have a child, Dr. Ku explains it’s important for couples to understand the health risks associated with conceiving twins, triplets, or greater. The complications often experienced during a multi-fetal pregnancy include:
Pre-Term Labor
Pre-Term Delivery
The fetus’s inability to grow inside the uterus
Breaking the bag of water too early
An increased risk of fetal death, even after birth
“Revoking Dr. Kamrava’s medical license sends a great message to patients that the medical community takes these issues seriously,” says Corey Whelan, Program Director for The AFA. “Guidelines exist for elective embryo transfer that are intended to protect the health and wellbeing of both the patient and baby. We’re proud to have partnered with Attain Fertility to provide this important educational video for those considering IVF.”
The guidelines Whelan refers to are those developed collaboratively by American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the Society of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (SART) to curtail the complications expectant parents may experience during a high order multiple pregnancy.
“Ultimately, deciding upon the number of embryos to transfer should be a team decision: the couple, the physician, and the embryologists should discuss the guidelines and discuss the appropriate number of embryos to be transferred,” Dr. Ku explains. “I encourage every patient to ask their doctor if the number of embryos recommended is the responsible number of embryos for them.”
For more information about Elective Embryo Transfer, visit http://attainfertility.com/. The entire AFA video series is available on Attain Fertility’s YouTube Channel.
