Register for ASRM reacts to latest news about California Octuplets
February 9, 2009
For more information, contact Sean Tipton at 202-863-2494 ~ stipton@asrm-dc.org
Statement Attributable to R. Dale McClure, MD ~
President, American Society for Reproductive Medicine
ASRM's concerns about Ms. Suleman's octuplet pregnancy have been heightened
since she announced in her Today Show interview that all of her children were
conceived using IVF. We are pleased that the California Medical Board has
announced they will be investigating this matter, and we are prepared to assist
them in any way we can.
We too have contacted Ms. Suleman and the physician named in the interview in
order to learn more about the circumstances leading to her octuplet pregnancy.
Only when we obtain and evaluate such information will we be able to determine
an appropriate course of action.
Physicians have known for many years the dangers of multiple pregnancy. ASRM and
its affiliate, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART), have
worked steadily to formulate evidence-based guidelines for the number of embryos
to transfer in assisted reproductive technology (ART) cycles.
We issued our first embryo transfer guidelines in 1996 and began to see a
reduction in high-order multiple pregnancies the very next year. According to
the CDC, in 1996 7% of fresh, non-donor ART cycles reaching embryo transfer and
resulting in a live birth were triplets or more. By 2005, that number had fallen
to only 2% of such cycles. This was achieved without hurting the pregnancy rates
for our patients. In fact, during the same period, the success rate from fresh
non-donor embryo transfers increased from 28% in 1996 to 34.3% in 2005.
Our guidelines provide the flexibility to give each patient treatment
individualized to her needs, and her best chance to become pregnant without
risking high-order multiple pregnancy. SART member clinics are committed to
following those guidelines. However, it seems that the guidelines may not have
been followed in Ms. Suleman's case.
_________________________________________
For more information go to
www.asrm.org
