WEDNESDAY, Nov. 1, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- There's a better chance that in vitro fertilization (IVF) will lead to pregnancy if fresh donor eggs are used instead of frozen eggs, a new study suggests.
Frozen donor eggs are cheaper and more convenient, while fresh eggs tend to be more expensive and require the recipient to coordinate with the egg donor.
The study also found that, regardless of whether fresh or frozen eggs are used, transfer of a single embryo increases the chances of a healthy pregnancy and birth, compared with the transfer of two or more embryos.
The findings, which came from the researchers' analysis of nearly 30,000 IVF cycles over three years in the United States, are scheduled for presentation at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine's annual meeting, in San Antonio, Texas.
"The most impressive finding that has relevance for all patients undergoing IVF is that performing the transfer with one embryo greatly increases the chance of a healthy baby, the desired objective in IVF," said senior author Dr. Alex Polotsky, an expert in advanced reproductive medicine at the University of Colorado.
"We encourage patients and physicians alike to set their focus on the horizon of achieving a healthy birth outcome," he said in a society news release. "Just achieving a pregnancy is not sufficient."
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development has more on assisted reproductive technology.
