COST-EFFECTIVENESS ANALYSIS OF IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION - ESTIMATED COSTS PER SUCCESSFUL PREGNANCY AFTER TRANSFER OF ONE OR 2 EMBRYOS

Standard protocols for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) include transfer o f two or three embryos, Not surprisingly, the rate of twin pregnancy a fter IVF is high (about 24% of all pregnancies), Routine transfer of o ne, rather than two, embryos would be expected to result in a much low er rate of twin pregnancies at the cost of a lower take-home baby rate , The aim of this study was to compare hypothetical costs to society i ncurred by pregnancies achieved with IVF protocols based on the transf er of one or two embryos, We compared actual (for two-embryo transfers ) and hypothetical (for one-embryo transfers) take-home baby rates; ri sks of twin pregnancies; and costs of sick leave and hospitalization d uring pregnancy, deliveries, neonatal intensive care, and handicap car e after transfer of one or two embryos, The study showed that even whe n more treatments might be needed to achieve similar baby take-home ra tes after transfer of one compared with two embryos, the lower twin pr egnancy rate of the former approach caused it to be more cost-efficien t than the latter, In conclusion, IVF costs are the sum of fertilizati on treatment costs and the costs for health care of the pregnant women and their offspring, Considering the association of the latter costs with numbers of embryos transferred, studies of one-embryo transfer pr otocols are urgently needed.