DIZYGOTIC TRIPLET PREGNANCY FOLLOWING IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION

We present a case of dizygotic triplet pregnancy (monoamniotic twins a nd a singleton) that, as far as we know, is the first reported one ind uced by artificial reproductive technology. It ended in the delivery o f three healthy normal babies: two monozygotic twin boys and a girl. I t appears that zygote splitting is significantly more common in patien ts treated with ovulation-inducing agents than in the general populati on. Also, in-vitro conditions of embryonic growth might influence the chances of multifetal gestation and the incidence of identical twinnin g. This may be due to changes in the physical properties of the zona p ellucida and subsequent partial hatching of the pre-embryo. Evaluation of similar cases in the future may shed more light on the mechanism u nderlying their occurrence following in-vitro fertilization.