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LONDON, Oct 18, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A British fertility watchdog group says women having in vitro fertilization should only be allowed to use one embryo at a time.
The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority says the limit should be placed on patients who are not yet in their late 30s, the Times of London reported.
The newspaper said about 90 percent of IVF procedures performed in Britain use either two or three embryos to improve the chances of conception, significantly increasing the chances of conceiving twins or triplets.
Twins and triplets face much greater health risks than single infants. Multiple pregnancies are dangerous for mothers as well.
HFEA said each twin costs the National Health Service 16 times as much as a single birth in the first year of life.
Currently, women under the age of 40 can receive two embryos, while older patients can use three, the newspaper said.
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
