No baby booms

In a bid to cut multiple pregnancies, infertility clinics in Britain have
been ordered not to implant more than two embryos in each patient. The directive
comes from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, which regulates in
vitro fertilisation. Multiple pregnancies often lead to premature births, babies
of low birthweight, and higher rates of stillbirth and congenital disability,
including cerebral palsy. “In most cases, replacing more than two embryos does
not increase the chance of having a baby, but can substantially increase the
risk of a multiple birth,” says Ruth Deech, the chairman of the HFEA. Only in
very exceptional…