Single embryo transfer success improving with modern IVF , study suggests

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By Olivia Bowthorpe

The use of modern IVF techniques has led to an increase in live birth rates in single embryo transfer, according to an Australian study.

Nearly seven in 10 women had a live birth after three treatment cycles, according to the study.

Live birth rates in the study are higher than those reported in previous studies, despite almost all women having a single embryo transferred rather than the multiple embryo transfers, which are now less common.

The figures, from 18,396 women who began their first treatment between 2012 and 2021 at seven fertility clinics in Australia, showed that 68.2% of women had a baby after up to three IVF cycles.

Looking at everyone who started treatment, even if they stopped before completing three cycles, the live birth rate was 58.7%.

Full details are being presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) annual meeting.

Success rates varied with age. For women under 35 there was an 84.5% chance of a live birth after three cycles, compared with 74.4% for those aged 35 to 37. For ages 38 to 40, the rate was 57.7% and for 41 to 42 years, it was 30.1%.