Elective single versus double blastocyst-stage embryo transfer in women
aged 36 years or older
Abstract
Objective: To evaluate if elective single-blastocyst transfer (eSBT)
could be adopted in women aged 36 or older? Design: Retrospective cohort
study. Setting: Reproductive medicine center at a tertiary hospital.
Population: Women aged ≥36 years received IVF ovarian stimulation cycles
and had ≥ two blastocysts. Out of 429 women, 240 underwent eSBT and 189
double-blastocyst transfer (DBT) in the first transfer cycle. The
subsequent frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles were a combination of
single- and double- blastocyst transfers. Methods: Analysis was
stratified for patients in age groups 36-37, 38-39 and ≥40, taking into
account the quality of the blastocyst transferred, as graded by
morphological examination. Main outcomes measures: Cumulative livebirth
rate (cLBR) from all transfers (fresh and frozen) accruing from a single
oocyte retrieval. Results: The cLBR was 74.2% (178/240) versus 63.0%
(119/189) after eSBT versus DBT, respectively (aOR: 1.09 (0.68, 1.75)).
Time to live birth did not vary significantly between the two groups
(HR: 0.85 (0.68,1.08)). The total number of children born was 194 after
eSBT (162 singletons and 16 pairs of twins) versus 154 (84 singletons
and 35 twins) pairs of after DBT. The odds ratios for preterm birth
(<37 weeks’ gestation) (0.37 (0.21-0.64)), and low birthweight
(<2.5 kg) (0.31 (0.16, 0.60)) were all lower in eSBT group
than in DBT group. Conclusions: In women aged ≥36 years old with at
least two blastocysts, cLBR following single- versus double- blastocyst
transfer was comparable while the odds of multiple livebirths and
adverse perinatal outcomes were reduced.