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October 05, 2006
Modern Medicine...Now What?
by Stephanie Koze
Many infertile couples now can conceive thanks to modern medicine. This progress has led to a number of quandaries, however – including preterm births and insurance coverage issues.
The Institute of Medicine reported in July 2006 that preterm births have increased 30 percent since 1981, costing society at least $26 billion a year. The use of fertility treatments has been linked to between 10 and 15 percent of preterm births.
The Institute has called for more research to be conducted to explore why preterm births are on the rise. What experts know now is that women opting for fertility treatments often experience multiple births, which can lead to preterm delivery.
Fertility treatments are very expensive, and insurance companies don’t cover in vitro fertilization, a common fertility treatment. As a result, many infertile couples end up opting for multiple embryos to be implanted via in vitro fertilization, or they opt for over-ovulation to increase their chances for conception. These approaches can lead to multiple births and preterm delivery.
If insurance companies provided better coverage for fertility treatments, they might actually reduce the incidence of multiple embryos and multiple births – thereby decreasing the astronomical medical costs associated with treating premature infants who suffer short- or long-term health consequences as a result of their early arrival.
Posted by stephanie_koze at October 5, 2006 05:07 PM
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