The problem is that fertility doctors often say "let's put X number in and hope that one or two stick" I know this because I have been through two IVF cycles myself. Any doctor willing to put more than 3 embryos into a young woman is negligent.
Limiting a transfer to 3 embryos could *technically* result in 6 babies, but the odds are overwhelmingly against it, since ONLY 4 to 5 percent will split, and you're assuming that all 6 would implant. In terms of fertility, one in 50 babies has a twin, so less than half of those extra embryos tend to implant in real life. Really, you're talking about the least possible scenario, and that still doesn't equal EIGHT babies.
Mind you, there are still plenty of women who ovulate multiple eggs, sometimes naturally and sometimes with the help of drugs like clomid. Obviously, nothing can be done to control how many babies these women get pregnant with, however in situations where the embryos are artificially created, I stand by my opinion that transferring more than 3 is negligent.
I do see 8 babies as a litter. It is a term used for any mammal which has multiple babies, from rabbits and pigs to dogs and cats. I'm sorry you find it offensive that I consider humans to be mammals.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2009-01-31 08:24 pm (UTC)Limiting a transfer to 3 embryos could *technically* result in 6 babies, but the odds are overwhelmingly against it, since ONLY 4 to 5 percent will split, and you're assuming that all 6 would implant. In terms of fertility, one in 50 babies has a twin, so less than half of those extra embryos tend to implant in real life. Really, you're talking about the least possible scenario, and that still doesn't equal EIGHT babies.
Mind you, there are still plenty of women who ovulate multiple eggs, sometimes naturally and sometimes with the help of drugs like clomid. Obviously, nothing can be done to control how many babies these women get pregnant with, however in situations where the embryos are artificially created, I stand by my opinion that transferring more than 3 is negligent.
I do see 8 babies as a litter. It is a term used for any mammal which has multiple babies, from rabbits and pigs to dogs and cats. I'm sorry you find it offensive that I consider humans to be mammals.