The proportion of multiple pregnancies resulting from assisted
reproduction technology (ART) has decreased and the number of
treatment cycles has increased, says a report released today by the
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
The report, Assisted Reproduction Technology in Australia
and New Zealand 2003, shows a 9% increase in the number of
treatment cycles between 2002 and 2003.
The report also shows that multiple pregnancies resulting from
ART have decreased from 19.4% in 1994 to 18.1% in 2003.
Professor Michael Chapman, spokesman for the AIHW's National
Perinatal Statistics Unit located at the University of New South
Wales, says the change reflects a decrease in the number of embryos
being transferred per cycle.
'In 1994, three or more embryos were transferred in 48.7% of
embryo transfer cycles compared with 4.3% of transfer cycles in
2003,' he said.
In the 2003 cohort, success (the delivery of at least one live
baby) was achieved in 23.7% of embryo transfer cycles where women
used their own fresh embryos, while the figure for women who used
their own frozen embryos was 15.2%.
'When we look at the ages of women who used their own fresh
embryos, women aged 25-29 years achieved more successful outcomes,
with 35.1% of embryo transfer cycles achieving a live delivery,
while women aged 40-44 years had a success rate of 9.5%,' Professor
Chapman said.
The average age of women undergoing treatment in 2003 was 35.2
years.
The number of babies born following ART treatment increased by
8.6% between 2002 and 2003.
The proportion of babies that were born preterm (fewer than 37
weeks gestation) was 26.6%, which is down from 32.6% in 2000.
Babies born with low birthweight (less than 2,500 grams) made up
21.8% of all babies born in 2003, and this figure is also down from
2000 when 26.4% of all babies were born with low birthweight.
Both pre-term births and low birthweight are commonly associated
with multiple pregnancies.
16 February 2006
Further information: Professor Michael Chapman,
School of Women's and Children's Health, The University of New
South Wales tel. 02 9350 2315, mob. 0412 900 120
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 61 2 6244 1032.
Availability: Check the AIHW Publications
Catalogue for availability of the Assisted Reproduction
Technology in Australia and New Zealand 2003 report.