WHEN MULTIPLE GESTATIONAL SACS ARE SEEN ON ULTRASOUND, TAKE-HOME BABYRATE IMPROVES WITH INVITRO FERTILIZATION

During a 5.5 year period, 309 clinical pregnancies were recorded in ou r in-vitro fertilization (IVF) unit. A single gestational sac was iden tified by early ultrasonography in 233 patients, while in 76 others, m ultiple gestational sacs were noted. 'Take-home baby' rate, in patient s in whom multiple sacs were observed, was higher than that in patient s with a single sac. Delivery of at least one live newborn occurred in only 73.8% of patients with a single sac, compared with 93.3% and 91. 7% in patients with two and three gestational sacs, respectively. Conv ersely, the early and late abortion rates were decreased in patients w ith multiple sacs. Embryonic implantation rate, defined as the ratio o f gestational sacs observed to the number of embryos transferred, was found to be a valuable prognostic factor for a live delivery, and can serve as a tool in assaying the prognosis of pregnancy detected by ear ly sonography. The observation of a higher 'take-home baby' rate in ca ses with multiple sacs identified by ultrasound and with higher embryo nic implantation rate, might be the result of a better embryo quality and/or improved uterine receptivity, promoted by a favourable hormonal milieu or by as yet unknown endometrial factors.