Reply #32: I'm not against fertility treatment; but sextuplets should not and need not happen [View All]

In the UK, doctors will not use more than two, or in the case of mothers over 40, three embryos at one time. Even though this increases the risk that no embryo will implant, it prevents the very high-order multiple births, where often some of the babies don't survive.

From the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority website:

'Why is there so much concern about having twins or triplets after fertility treatment?
Having a multiple birth (twins, triplets or more) is the single greatest health risk associated with fertility treatment. This is why the HFEA has imposed restrictions on the number of embryos that can be transferred in IVF to a maximum of two for women under the age of 40 and a maximum of three for women aged 40 or over who are using their own eggs (if you are using donated eggs, the maximum is two). Multiple births carry risks to both the health of the mother and to the health of the unborn babies. Twins or triplets are more likely to be premature and to have a below-normal birth weight. Studies show that the risk of death before birth, or within the first week of life, is more than four times greater for twins than for a single baby. For triplets, the risk is seven times greater than for a single baby. For more information, see our fact sheet Multiple Births and Pregnancies: considering the risks.'


I do hope that the mother and the babies will be OK.