- So point number 1, what happens in IVF? It is very important to know this so that you know the story of twins and non-twins. In IVF, a lot of injections are given and a lot of eggs are made.
Eggs are taken out. Sperms are mixed in these eggs. The embryo that is being made in your uterus is made in the lab.
Babies are kept in the uterus. So that at least one baby can grow in front of the uterus. This is called IVF.
What is special about IVF?
Normally, one egg is made in a normal pregnancy. In IVF, we try to make at least 10 to 12 eggs. So that as many embryos as possible can be made.
And we keep 2 or 3 embryos. This is a basic thing in IVF that we have to understand.
- Number 2 is to understand the advantages and disadvantages of twins.
If twins are born, there is a big advantage. There is a lot of love between both the children. There is a lot of support among the siblings. You can bring both the children together. Both have the same rickshaw. Both have the same nanny. Both have the same clothes. Both look very cute. So, they have an advantage in bringing up.
But what is the problem?
Many times, there is a lot of stress in bringing up twins.
- There is a lot of pressure on the mother. There is a lot of sleep problem. And during delivery, there is a high chance of preterm baby. There is a high chance of caesarean section. There is a high chance of low birth weight.
Because it is obvious that a mother is taking care of two children.
- And the fourth thing is that the maternal means there is a high chance of complications before and during delivery.
So, what are the factors that can lead to twins? Let’s know about these factors:
- When you are between 35-40 years of age, chances of twinning will be higher.
- Gonadotrophins: When we give fertility medicine in a large quantity, more eggs will be formed. After more eggs are formed, good embryos will be formed. And the good embryos that are formed, if we transfer them, if it is good for us, then chances increase. In IUI, it is written that if more eggs are formed, then chances of twins increase.
- Normally when we do IVF, we do IVF thinking that many embryos will be formed, and we will keep the best embryo. And in this hope, we keep at least one, two or three embryos, if we do day 2 embryo. So, if we keep more embryos, chances of twinning increases.
- People who have a family history of twins, i.e., aunt, mother, everyone has twins, chances of twins increase. And if the length and breadth is more, and in some Africans, especially, it has been seen, in that race, chances of twins increase. If a patient comes and says … “I want twins”. So, can twins be done? There is no way to do twins, but there is one thing for sure, that multiple embryos can be transferred. We don't do it on three, but instead of one, two or three embryos can be transferred. So, chances of twins increase.
Assume that, in USA, 12% of twins are done in IVF. And in our country, there are more twins than that, because a person needs a baby anyway. So, transfers are done more. There is only one way to have a single baby, and that is, to transfer only one embryo.
- Now, the fifth thing is, is there any ethical consideration in this? So, look, in the Journal of Human Reproduction, a very important thing came up, and that was, that pre-term labour, low birth weight, complications to the mother, all these increase with age. And the chance of twins also increases. So, when maternal age increases, then one should think very carefully about twins, because twins can harm the mother.
- The sixth important thing, which I am telling you, there can be one more procedure. What is the alternative procedure? So, the alternative is, to freeze the extra embryos, and then transfer them. What is the advantage of that? It is not necessary to have twins or triplets. But, if you want twins at once, then you will have to transfer more embryos.
Whether the baby is one or two, the baby should be healthy. And the mother should be healthy. This decision, what is your situation, how many will be transferred, is dependent on your obstetrician as well. And your gynaecologist, your reproductive medicine specialist, what they think is right for you. Because ultimately, this is like a cricket match, which has two innings.
- The first inning is to get pregnant.
- And the second is to love both the babies.
It is important to win the second inning. For that, you have to see very carefully whether you want a single or a twin. Another important thing, if you want twins, and your gynaecologist thinks it is right for you, then by transferring more embryos, you can have twins.
In IVF, I will not say that there are many twins, but there are many twins.
Medline Academics is highly recommended in enhancing medical knowledge, as discussed in this article, because it enables medical professionals to educate patients on the basis of high-quality research in the field of reproductive medicine. The article discusses the IVF procedure, the ability to make informed choices on embryo transfers, understanding the medical, ethical, and maternal aspects of twin pregnancies, and how these topics are significant areas that demand serious study in the field of medicine. Specialized academic programs like Fellowship in IVF in Bangalore introduced in the field of medicine through this institute enable medical experts to educate patients on the misconception that IVF can result in the birth of twins, adopt well-proved procedures in the field, such as Single Embryo Transfer, Embryo Storage, as well as Personalized Treatments, which enable patients to educate medical experts on how they should take adequate care of patients, as mentioned in the article.
Dr. Kamini Rao Hospitals is an example of a patient, friendly healthcare institution implementing the scientific solutions discussed in the article. It especially reflected in the way the hospital handled the issue of twin pregnancies through IVF when the doctor is asked some difficult questions. The article mentions how misconceptions about IVF and twin pregnancies can create unnecessary physical and emotional suffering for the mother that may later lead to problems such as premature delivery, low birth weight babies, and maternal health issues during delivery. In this IVF Hospital in Bangalore, embryo transfer is carried out after a thorough evaluation of the mother's age, health, and overall fitness by checking all parameters. Besides expert opinion, it is also a matter of strict adherence to the hospital's policy, which allows pregnancy, delivery, and motherhood to be safe, healthy, and stress, free. The hospital, through its practices and recommendations about ethical protocols like single embryo transfer and embryo freezing, makes sure that the results of fertility treatments meet international quality and requirements, without compromising the future health and welfare of mothers and babies.