Scientists may have solved a puzzle baffling fertility experts -- why test tube babies do not do as well as other infants in early life.Babies conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) are usually born earlier than naturally conceived babies. They also have a lower birth weight and spend more time in hospital after the birth. But doctors could not explain why. “Now we have two reports that might answer the question,” said Dr Arne Sunde, chairman of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE).Researchers suggest the answer can be found in the number of embryos transferred into the woman’s womb during IVF treatment."We believe that our work shows clearly that single embryo transfer is best for both the mother and child,” Dr Diane De Neubourg, of the Center for Reproductive Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium, told an ESHRE meeting Tuesday."These babies do very well in their outcomes compared to the outcomes in spontaneous pregnancies."In some countries, two or more embryos are transferred into the womb to increase the odds of a pregnancy. But that practice also raises the risk of multiple births, which can be dangerous for both the mother and babies.De Neubourg and her team showed that IVF babies resulting from the transfer of a single embryo are as healthy as babies conceived normally.
