A comparison of clinical pregnancy rates and multiple gestation rates with 2 vs 3 embryos transferred with pairs matched for embryo quality

To determine the impact of embryo quality on multiple birth rates. A retrospective review of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles over ten years was performed. The data was stratified by number of embryos transferred (two vs three) and by percentage of embryos with < 6 vs > or = 6 blastomeres. Pregnancy rates (PRs) increase with the greater number of embryos with a higher blastomere count. However transferring more embryos with less blastomeres does not lower the risk of multiple births. Couples should consult the table, e.g. presented here, so they can make their best choice of how many embryos to transfer considering the importance of a higher pregnancy rate vs the risk of the complication of multiple births.