The economic implications of multiple pregnancy following ART

Abstract

The clinical risks to mothers and babies associated with assisted reproductive technology (ART) multiple birth pregnancies are well described and widely recognized. In contrast, the long-term economic consequences that follow are less appreciated. The few economic analyses that do exist consistently demonstrate the greater patient, healthcare and societal costs associated with twins and higher-order multiples when compared with singleton infants, and convincingly add to the argument that single embryo transfer should be standard practice in most patient groups. Several recent studies have shown that the relative price paid by patients for ART treatment not only has implications for who can afford to access treatment, but also plays an important role in incentivizing embryo transfer practices and thus ART multiple birth rates. This review summarizes the current literature on the costs and consequences of ART multiple births, the contribution of ART multiple births to the economic burden associated with preterm birth, the evidence for the cost-effectiveness of single embryo transfer, and the association between the cost of treatment and the downstream costs associated with multiple births.

Keywords: Assisted reproductive technology; Cost analysis; Health economics; Health policy; Multiple births.