Assisted conception techniques produced
1.1% (2,920) of all Australian births in 1995, according to a
report released today by the Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare (AIHW) National Perinatal Statistics Unit at the University
of New South Wales.
The report, Assisted Conception
Australia and New Zealand 1996, presents data collected from
27 Australian and 6 New Zealand IVF units.
While the overall proportion of
births from assisted conception increased slightly over the last
year, the proportion of assisted conception pregnancies resulting
from microinsemination (usually single sperm injection) has
increased rapidly. Dr. Paul Lancaster, AIHW National Perinatal
Statistics Unit Director said, 'microinsemination now accounts for
a third of all treatment cycles and the proportion of all assisted
conception pregnancies due to this technique has risen from less
than 1 in 200 in 1990 to 1 in 4 in 1995.'
Multiple births after assisted
conception are still common. Dr. Lancaster said, 'between 1993 and
1995, 20% of all IVF - in-vitro fertilisation - and GIFT - gamete
intrafallopian transfer - pregnancies were multiple births compared
with 1.4% for all pregnancies.' Between 1994 and 1995 multiple
births in IVF pregnancies increased from 16.8% to 19.4%, but
decreased in GIFT pregnancies from 26.2% to 22.9%.
Other findings of the report
include:
- For all assisted conception techniques in 1996, 1 in 7
treatment cycles resulted in a birth.
- The rate of pregnancies of 20 weeks or more for
intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and transfer of fresh
embryos was 13.7 per 100 cycles compared with 11.9 per 100 cycles
for IVF without ICSI.
20 February
1998
Further
information: Dr Paul Lancaster, NPSU, ph. 02 9382 1047 or
02 9427 0112 (ah).
For media copies of the report (109pp): Jocelyn
Mann, NPSU, ph. 02 9382 1014, or Emma Needham, AIHW, ph. 02 6244
1031.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications Catalogue
for details.