The effect of Day 3 cell number on pregnancy outcomes in vitrified-thawed single blastocyst transfer cycles

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (11) ◽  
pp. 2478-2487
Author(s):  
Jiayi Wu ◽  
Jie Zhang ◽  
Yanping Kuang ◽  
Qiuju Chen ◽  
Yun Wang

Abstract STUDY QUESTION Does cell number on Day 3 have an impact on pregnancy outcomes in vitrified-thawed single blastocyst transfer cycles? SUMMARY ANSWER A low Day 3 cell number (≤5 cells) was independently associated with decreased live birth rate (LBR) during single blastocyst transfer cycles in young women. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Day 3 cell number is an effective predictor of IVF success rates when transferring cleavage stage embryos. However, the association between Day 3 blastomere number and pregnancy outcomes after blastocyst transfer is still unknown. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A retrospective cohort study of 3543 patients who underwent frozen-thawed single blastocyst transfers from January 2013 to June 2018 at a tertiary-care academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Patients were grouped into six groups according to the Day 3 cell number: ≤4 cells, 5 cells, 6 cells, 7 cells, 8 cells and >8 cells. The primary outcome measure was LBR. A logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the independent association between Day 3 blastomere number and LBR after adjustment for some potential confounders. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE In women <35 years old, the LBR varied significantly according to Day 3 cell number, with the rate of 31.2%, 34.4%, 41.9%, 45.1%, 48.1% and 48.2% for the ≤4-cell, 5-cell, 6-cell, 7-cell, 8-cell and >8-cell groups, respectively (P < 0.001). This significant difference was also observed in the high- and low-quality blastocyst subgroups of young women. However, for women ≥35 years old, the rate of live birth was similar between groups. Furthermore, after accounting for confounding factors, the LBR was significantly decreased in the ≤4-cell (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 0.62, 95% CI: 0.48–0.80, P < 0.001) and 5-cell (aOR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57–0.92, P = 0.009) groups as compared to the 8-cell group. Likewise, the blastocysts arising from ≤4-cell (aOR: 0.73, 95% CI: 0.57–0.93, P = 0.010) or 5-cell (aOR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.61–0.97, P = 0.024) embryos were associated with lower clinical pregnancy rate than those from 8-cell embryos. No significant differences were observed in biochemical pregnancy rate and miscarriage rate. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION A limitation of the current study was its retrospective design. Future prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Our observations suggested that a low Day 3 cell number was related to decreased LBR after blastocyst transfer in young women, which provided vital information for clinicians in selecting blastocyst during IVF treatment. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (31770989 to Y.W.; 81671520 to Q.C.) and the Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital Foundation of China (JYLJ030 to Y.W.). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuxia He ◽  
Shiping Chen ◽  
Jianqiao Liu ◽  
Xiangjin Kang ◽  
Haiying Liu

Abstract Background High-quality single blastocyst transfer (SBT) is increasingly recommended to patients because of its acceptable pregnancy outcomes and significantly reduced multiple pregnancy rate compared to double blastocyst transfer (DBT). However, there is no consensus on whether this transfer strategy is also suitable for poor-quality blastocysts. Moreover, the effect of the development speed of poor-quality blastocysts on pregnancy outcomes has been controversial. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of blastocyst development speed and morphology on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes during the frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle of poor-quality blastocysts and to ultimately provide references for clinical transfer strategies. Methods A total of 2,038 FET cycles of poor-quality blastocysts from patients 40 years old or less were included from January 2014 to December 2019 and divided based on the blastocyst development speed and number of embryos transferred: the D5-SBT (n = 476), D5-DBT (n = 365), D6-SBT (n = 730), and D6-DBT (n = 467) groups. The SBT group was further divided based on embryo morphology: D5-AC/BC (n = 407), D5-CA/CB (n = 69), D6-AC/BC (n = 580), and D6-CA /CB (n = 150). Results When blastocysts reach the same development speed, the live birth and multiple pregnancy rates of DBT were significantly higher than those of SBT. Moreover, there was no statistical difference in the rates of early miscarriage and live birth between the AC/BC and CA/CB groups. When patients in the SBT group were stratified by blastocyst development speed, the rates of clinical pregnancy (42.44 % vs. 20.82 %) and live birth (32.35 % vs. 14.25 %) of D5-SBT group were significantly higher than those of D6-SBT group. Furthermore, for blastocysts in the same morphology group (AC/BC or CA/CA group), the rates of clinical pregnancy and live birth in the D5 group were also significantly higher than those of D6 group. Conclusions For poor-quality D5 blastocysts, SBT can be recommended to patients because of acceptable pregnancy outcomes and significantly reduced multiple pregnancy rate compared with DBT. For poor-quality D6, the DBT strategy is recommended to patients to improve pregnancy outcomes. When blastocysts reach the same development speed, the transfer strategy of selecting blastocyst with inner cell mass “C” or blastocyst with trophectoderm “C” does not affect the pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Watanabe ◽  
M Tomida ◽  
S Suzuki ◽  
Y Matsuda ◽  
K Yoshikai ◽  
...  

Abstract Study question When does blastomere exclusion from compaction increase and what effect does it have on the embryo? Summary answer More blastomere were excluded from compaction in embryos with irregular cleavage, resulting in lower blastocyst development rates, but no decrease in pregnancy rates at transfer. What is known already It has been reported that many of the chromosome analysis results of blastomere excluded from compaction were aneuploid, and pointed out that this exclusion may be related to the repair of blastocyst euploidy, but the effect of the number of excluded blastomere has not been reported. Study design, size, duration This is a retrospective study of 578 embryos that developed into morula with time-lapse monitoring by EmbryoScope (Vitrolife) in 2018–2019. Participants/materials, setting, methods The target embryos were classified into two groups: embryos with normal first and second cleavage (normal cleavage group) and embryos with irregular cleavage (dynamics of one cell dividing into three or more cells), called “direct cleavage”, at either cleavage (DC group), and the number of blastomere excluded from compaction during morula formation was recorded and compared. The blastocyst development rate and single blastocyst transfer pregnancy rates of the two groups were compared. Main results and the role of chance There are 286 in the normal cleavage group and 292 in the DC group. The mean number of excluded blastomere was 0.76 and 3.55, respectively, which was significantly higher in the DC group (P < 0.01). Good blastocyst (Gardner classification 4 or higher) development rate was 84.5% (239/283) and 65.8% (181/275), respectively, and high grade blastocyst (Gardner classification BB or higher) development rate was 43.9% (105/239) and 14.9% (27/181) of them, both significantly higher in the normal cleavage group (P < 0.01). The single blastocyst transfer pregnancy rates were 31.6% (25/79) and 32.4% (11/34), and the miscarriage rates were 24.0% (6/25) and 27.3% (3/11), respectively, neither was there a significant difference between the two groups. So, direct cleavage increased the number of blastomere excluded from compaction, decreased the rate of morula to good blastocyst development and reduced blastocyst grade, but did not affect blastocyst transfer pregnancy rate and miscarriage rate. Limitations, reasons for caution Please note that all target embryos must have developed into morula or larger (embryos that did not develop into morula will not be included in the study). Wider implications of the findings: Severe chromosomal aberrant blastomeres formed by direct cleavage were excluded from compaction, and the blastocyst development rate decreased due to a decrease in the amount of viable cells, but it is suggested that this blastomere exclusion mechanism is not related to euploidy after blastocyst development. Trial registration number Not applicable


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Li ◽  
Dan-Dan Gao ◽  
Yi Zhang ◽  
Jing-Yan Song ◽  
Zhen-Gao Sun

Abstract Objective The principal purpose of this study was to compare reproductive outcomes for stimulated cycles (STC) and hormone replacement cycles (HRC) for endometrial preparation before frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Methods We conducted a retrospective study of 1434 FET cycles from January, 2017 to March, 2020 in our reproductive center, in which stimulated and hormone replacement cycles were used for endometrial preparation. Pregnancy outcomes of couples undergoing routine STC-FET or HRC-FET were analyzed before and after propensity score matching (PSM). Results Data on 1234 HRC protocols (86% of the total) and 200 STC protocols (14%) were collected. After PSM, 199 patients were included in both groups, respectively. There was no significant difference in positive pregnancy rate (52.7% vs. 54.8%, p = 0.763), clinical pregnancy rate (51.8% vs. 52.8%, p = 0.841), live birth rate (45.2% vs. 43.7%, p = 0.762), pregnancy loss rate (9.7% vs. 16.2%, p = 0.164) and ectopic pregnancy rate (1.5% vs. 0.5%, p = 0.615) between STC protocols and HRC protocols. Conclusion STC for endometrial preparation had similar pregnancy outcomes compared with HRC protocols by excluding heterogeneous factors after PSM. Evidence is available which shows that for young women with PCOS who were undergoing in-vitro fertilization, HRC could be a reasonable choice for patients who are unwilling to accept injections. Additionally, STC may offer more flexibility for young PCOS patients and reproductive centres.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Semra Kahraman ◽  
Ipek Nur Balin Duzguner ◽  
Soner Duzguner ◽  
Yucel Sahin ◽  
Cihat Sen

Abstract Background Before 2010, there were no regulations in Turkey regarding the number of embryos to be transferred in one cycle. In March 2010, regulations restricting this number were implemented by the Turkish Ministry of Health. These specify the transfer of a maximum of one embryo in the first and second cycles and a maximum of two embryos in subsequent cycles in women aged < 35, and a maximum of two embryos in women aged ≥35 in any one cycle. Our study evaluates the effect of these regulations. Methods This large retrospective single center study first evaluates the incidence of multiple pregnancies before and after the implementation of the 2010 regulations. Secondly, it compares the clinical outcomes of double blastocyst transfer (DBT) and single blastocyst transfer (SBT) performed in compliance with these regulations from 2014 onwards. Results After the introduction of the 2010 regulations, the multiple pregnancy rate decreased significantly from 37.9 to 15.7%. The singleton live birth rate increased significantly, whereas multıiple live birth rates significantly decreased (p = < 0.001). When the clinical outcomes of SBT and DBT performed in compliance with regulations from 2014 onwards were evaluated, in patients < 35 years, the multiple pregnancy rate decreased from 47.2% in the DBT group to 1.7% in the SBT group (p = < 0.001). In patients ≥35 years, in the DBT group, the twin birth rate was again high at 28.4%, whereas in the SBT group, it was only 1.8% (p = < 0.001). Importantly, there was no statistically significant difference in clinical pregnancy rates between these two groups. Conclusion Turkish regulations have led to an encouragement of double embryo transfer (DET) as a routine practice, with many patients understanding it as an absolute right to have two embryos transferred. The results of our study suggest that, especially in the light of the success of blastocyst transfer, the Turkish regulations should be amended to limit the use of DET and encourage the use of single embryo transfer except in exceptional cases and particularly in women under 35 years old.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
yuxia He ◽  
shiping Chen ◽  
jianqiao Liu ◽  
xiangjin Kang ◽  
haiying Liu

Abstract Background: High-quality single blastocyst transfer (SBT) is increasingly recommended to patients because of its acceptable pregnancy outcomes and significantly reduced multiple pregnancy rate compared to double blastocyst transfer (DBT). However, there is no consensus on whether this transfer strategy is also suitable for poor-quality blastocysts. Moreover, the effect of the development speed of poor-quality blastocysts on pregnancy outcomes has been controversial. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of blastocyst development speed and morphology on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes during the frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle of poor-quality blastocysts and to ultimately provide references for clinical transfer strategies.Methods: A total of 2,038 FET cycles of poor-quality blastocysts were analyzed from January 2014 to December 2019 and divided based on the blastocyst development speed and number of embryos transferred: the D5-SBT (n=476), D5-DBT (n=365), D6-SBT (n=730), and D6-DBT (n=467) groups. The SBT group was further divided based on embryo morphology: D5-AC/BC (n=407), D5-CA/CB (n=69), D6-AC/BC (n=580), and D6-CA /CB (n=150).Results: When blastocysts reach the same development speed, the live birth and multiple pregnancy rates of DBT were significantly higher than those of SBT. Moreover, there was no statistical difference in the rates of early miscarriage and live birth between the AC/BC and CA/CB groups. When patients in the SBT group were stratified by blastocyst development speed, the rates of clinical pregnancy (42.44% vs. 20.82%) and live birth (32.35% vs. 14.25%) of D5-SBT group were significantly higher than those of D6-SBT group. Furthermore, for blastocysts in the same morphology group (AC/BC or CA/CA group), the rates of clinical pregnancy and live birth in the D5 group were also significantly higher than those of D6 group. Conclusion: For poor-quality D5 blastocysts, SBT can be recommended to patients because of acceptable pregnancy outcomes and significantly reduced multiple pregnancy rate compared with DBT. For poor-quality D6, the DBT strategy is recommended to patients to improve pregnancy outcomes. When blastocysts reach the same development speed, the transfer strategy of selecting blastocyst with inner cell mass “C” or blastocyst with trophectoderm “C” does not affect the pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuxia He ◽  
Shiping Chen ◽  
Jianqiao Liu ◽  
Xiangjin Kang ◽  
Haiying Liu

Abstract Background: High-quality single blastocyst transfer (SBT) is increasingly recommended to patients because of its acceptable pregnancy outcomes and significantly reduced multiple pregnancy rate compared to double blastocyst transfer (DBT). However, there is no consensus on whether this transfer strategy is also suitable for poor-quality blastocysts. Moreover, the effect of the development speed of poor-quality blastocysts on pregnancy outcomes has been controversial. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of blastocyst development speed and morphology on pregnancy and neonatal outcomes during the frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycle of poor-quality blastocysts and to ultimately provide references for clinical transfer strategies.Methods: A total of 2,038 FET cycles of poor-quality blastocysts were analyzed from January 2014 to December 2019 and divided based on the blastocyst development speed and number of embryos transferred: the D5-SBT (n=476), D5-DBT (n=365), D6-SBT (n=730), and D6-DBT (n=467) groups. The SBT group was further divided based on embryo morphology: D5-AC/BC (n=407), D5-CA/CB (n=69), D6-AC/BC (n=580), and D6-CA /CB (n=150).Results: When blastocysts reach the same development speed, the live birth and multiple pregnancy rates of DBT were significantly higher than those of SBT. Moreover, there was no statistical difference in the rates of early miscarriage and live birth between the AC/BC and CA/CB groups. When patients in the SBT group were stratified by blastocyst development speed, the rates of clinical pregnancy (42.44% vs. 20.82%) and live birth (32.35% vs. 14.25%) of D5-SBT group were significantly higher than those of D6-SBT group. Furthermore, for blastocysts in the same morphology group (AC/BC or CA/CA group), the rates of clinical pregnancy and live birth in the D5 group were also significantly higher than those of D6 group. Conclusion: For poor-quality D5 blastocysts, SBT can be recommended to patients because of acceptable pregnancy outcomes and significantly reduced multiple pregnancy rate compared with DBT. For poor-quality D6, the DBT strategy is recommended to patients to improve pregnancy outcomes. When blastocysts reach the same development speed, the transfer strategy of selecting blastocyst with inner cell mass “C” or blastocyst with trophectoderm “C” does not affect the pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tingting Yang ◽  
Bo Chen ◽  
Xiaoyan Sun ◽  
Qingyang Li ◽  
Qiumei Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background So far, only few literatures have studied the relationship between blastocyst transfer position and ART outcomes, and the conclusions are still controversial. Our study is to evaluate the effect of air bubble position on ART outcome and to find the optimal embryo transfer position in frozen-thawed blastocyst transfer. Methods This study included a retrospective cohort analysis of 399 frozen-thawed single blastocyst transfers ultrasound-guided performed between June 1, 2017 and November 30, 2020. All of the women scheduled for frozen-thawed single blastocyst transfers ultrasound-guided. The primary outcome is clinical pregnancy rate and the secondary outcome is live birth rate. Statistical analyses were conducted using One-way Anova, Kruscal Whallis H test, chi-square test and Smooth curve fitting. Results When BFD was less than 19 mm, there was no significant change in clinical pregnancy rate as BFD increased (OR = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.89 to 1.02, P = 0.1373); when BFD was more than 19 mm, the clinical pregnancy rate decreased by 16% for every 1 mm increase in BFD (OR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.72 to 0.98, P = 0.0363). The effect of BFD on live birth rate were similar to that on clinical pregnancy rate, the inflection point was 19mm, when BFD was more than 19 mm, the live birth rate decreases by 58% for every 1 mm increase in BFD (OR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.21 to 0.86, P = 0.0174) Conclusions The ideal pregnancy outcome can be achieved within 19mm from uterus fundus after single blastocyst transfer, The clinical pregnancy and live birth at a distance of more 19mm from the uterus fundus have a cliff-like downward trend.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Junan Meng ◽  
Mengchen Zhu ◽  
Wenjuan Shen ◽  
Xiaomin Huang ◽  
Haixiang Sun ◽  
...  

Abstract Background It is still uncertain whether surgical evacuation adversely affects subsequent embryo transfer. The present study aims to assess the influence of surgical evacuation on the pregnancy outcomes of subsequent embryo transfer cycle following first trimester miscarriage in an initial in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycle. Methods A total of 645 patients who underwent their first trimester miscarriage in an initial IVF cycle between January 2013 and May 2016 in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital were enrolled. Surgical evacuation was performed when the products of conception were retained more than 8 h after medical evacuation. Characteristics and pregnancy outcomes were compared between surgical evacuation patients and no surgical evacuation patients. The pregnancy outcomes following surgical evacuation were further compared between patients with ≥ 8 mm or < 8 mm endometrial thickness (EMT), and with the different EMT changes. Results The EMT in the subsequent embryo transfer cycle of surgical evacuation group was much thinner when compared with that in the no surgical evacuation group (9.0 ± 1.6 mm vs. 9.4 ± 1.9 mm, P = 0.01). There was no significant difference in implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, live birth rate or miscarriage rate between surgical evacuation group and no surgical evacuation group (P > 0.05). The live birth rate was higher in EMT ≥ 8 mm group when compared to < 8 mm group in surgical evacuation patients (43.0% vs. 17.4%, P < 0.05). Conclusions There was no significant difference in the pregnancy outcomes of subsequent embryo transfer cycle between surgical evacuation patients and no surgical evacuation patients. Surgical evacuation led to the decrease of EMT, especially when the EMT < 8 mm was association with a lower live birth rate.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document