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As the case of the so-called Octomom continues to spur outrage and debate over the use of in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the U.S., new research suggests that the most effective and inexpensive IVF method may also be the least likely to result in dangerous multiple births.

A study by Finnish researchers published in the current issue of the journal Human Reproduction finds that transferring a single fresh embryo at a time, followed by subsequent transfers of individual thawed embryos, may be as effective in achieving pregnancy as implanting multiple embryos at once. Using one embryo at a time also cuts medical costs, the study found, saving about $27,000 per live-birth pregnancy.

"Elective single-embryo transfer is the better option under most scenarios," says Dr. Zdravka Veleva, one of the study's authors and a faculty member of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Finland's University of Oulu. The findings reflect what U.S. fertility doctors say they are increasingly seeing in their own practices. (Read "Building a Better Baby: A New In Vitro Test.")

The study compared outcomes of treatments during...