How is selective reduction done?

How is selective reduction done?

Once the specific fetuses to be reduced are identified, potassium chloride is injected into the heart of each selected fetus under the guidance of ultrasound imaging; the heart stops and the fetus dies as a result. Generally, the fetal material is reabsorbed into the woman’s body.

What is selective reduction abortion?

Selective reduction refers to the procedure of aborting 1 or more fetuses in a multiple pregnancy induced by fertility drugs or in vitro fertilization.

Is selective reduction the same as abortion?

Selective reduction and abortion both involve the termination of fetal life, but they are classified by different designations to underscore the notion that they are regarded as fundamentally different medical procedures: the two are performed using distinct techniques by different types of physicians, upon women under …

What is fetal reduction procedure?

A surgery called multifetal reduction lowers the number of fetuses and improves your chances for a healthy pregnancy. Also called fetal reduction or selective pregnancy reduction, it’s a safe procedure, and chances of problems are small. Still, it can be a tough decision.

What are the risks of selective reduction?

The risks of reducing the number of fetuses include:

  • Miscarriage of the other fetuses. The miscarriage rate is lower if there are fewer fetuses at the start of the procedure.
  • Emotional risks for you, especially if the pregnancy miscarries.

Does fetal reduction cause bleeding?

Because the fetus is very small during the first trimester, the reduced fetus is usually absorbed by the mother’s body. This may include some vaginal bleeding.

Is selective reduction Legal?

There is currently no jurisprudence determining whether state abortion laws encompass selective reductions. Such limitations on selective reduction could produce a chilling effect on providers, unnecessarily interfere with fertility patients’ medical needs, and risk running afoul of individual reproductive rights.

What are the risks of fetal reduction?

What are the risks associated with the procedure? After fetal reduction, there is a 7 % chance that the woman will lose the entire pregnancy prior to 20 weeks’ gestation. The original number of fetuses, the route of the needle as well as the number terminated may influence the likelihood and the rate of pregnancy loss.

Can you terminate a twin pregnancy?

Medical abortion with mifepristone and misoprostol is often used for termination of twin gestations as a twin gestation is not considered a contraindication [1].

Is fetal reduction risky?

How can I avoid multiple pregnancy IVF?

An obvious way to reduce this high twin rate would be to transfer only one embryo. This would require that cryopreservation of the supernumerary embryos be efficacious enough so that the chance of achieving an ongoing pregnancy is not diminished by transferring a single embryo in the stimulated cycle.

Does folic acid cause twin pregnancy?

Folic Acid Not Tied to Multiple Births Some small studies have recently suggested that the supplements might increase the likelihood of multiple births. But this large, population-based study involving more than 240,000 women found folic acid supplementation did not cause any increase in the rate of multiple births.

How is the sex of the fetuses determined before multifetal pregnancy reduction?

Before multifetal pregnancy reduction, some patients will undergo chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. In such cases, information on the sex of the fetuses will be available.

What should I know about multifetal pregnancy reduction before the procedure?

Before multifetal pregnancy reduction, some patients will undergo chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. In such cases, information on the sex of the fetuses will be available. This information should not be withheld from the pregnant woman who requests it. The patient may not wish to know the sex of the fetus or fetuses that will be reduced.

Can a multifetal pregnancy be reduced to a singleton?

For some women, a multifetal pregnancy reduction to a singleton may be an appropriate or desired option for medical reasons or nonmedical reasons, such as financial, social, or emotional concerns 15.

When is it appropriate to reduce the size of a fetus?

When two or more fetuses are equally accessible and there is no medical benefit to reducing one over another, the physician should randomly select the fetus to be reduced, therefore eliminating physician bias or subtle discrimination in making this determination.