It takes a while to collect and crunch a lot of numbers but the statistics recently publicized by the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART) are well worth the wait. In its just-released annual report covering the year 2012, the medical society says it was a record-breaking year for babies born from assisted reproductive technologies (ART). In vitro fertilization (IVF) accounted for a whopping 99% of these births.
Other notable numbers revealed in the 2012 SART annual report include:
- Almost 4 million babies were born in the US
in 2012 - 1.5% of them were the result of IVF
- 165,172 cycles were performed
- 61,740 live births were the result
- 99% of these live births were the result of IVF
- 1% were from various technologies that included gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT) and zygote intrafallopian transfer (ZIFT)
- $12,400 the average cost of an IVF cycle in the US in 2012
- 1-in-3 is the average success rate for each cycle
- 40% is the rate of success per cycle for women under 35
- 10% is the success rate for women older than 42
- 379 US clinics reported cycle information to SART
- 2,000 more babies born from assisted reproductive technology (ART) in 2012 than in 2011
- Fewer embryos per cycle were transferred in 2012 versus 2011
- More elective single embryo transfers were done in 2012 than in 2011
- 2 is the average number of embryos transferred to women under 35
- 3 is the average number transferred in women 42 and older
- 40% of the cycles for women under age 35 resulted in live births
- 4% of the cycles produced live births for women older than 42
- 0.7% is the odds of having triplets due to ART
- 6% was the chance of triplets in 2003
- About 25% of all women bearing twins from IVF are younger than 40
- Multiple births are more likely to occur when ARTs other than IVF are used
- Fertility drugs lead to the highest number of multiple births
- Four decades is how long IVF has been in use
Charles Coddington III attributes the growing interest in ART to women choosing to establish careers before starting families. Coddington is an obstetrician / gynecologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, as well as the president of SART.
Coddington is pleased with the reduction of multiple births attributed to ART. Multiple births can be risky for the mother and the babies. Any time babies come in numbers, the risk of premature delivery increases and many complications of their gestation and birth can have life-long effects.
Source: “Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology Releases New Annual Report on In Vitro Fertilization Procedures (press release).” Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. Feb 17, 2014. Web. Feb 19, 2014.