A report in the journal Human Reproduction details what is thought to be the first time that conception from IVF and natural intercourse has happened in the same woman at the same time.
A woman undergoing IVF treatment in California, US, had only two embryos transferred to her womb, but she ended up carrying four babies. It is thought that she managed to conceive naturally during her treatment. The woman and her partner had what is often referred to as 'unexplained infertility', where no real reason could be found for their inability to conceive.
It is thought that the babies that were naturally conceived became identical twins, derived from a fertilised egg that split before implantation, although this could have happened to one of the IVF embryos. Dr Amin Milki of Stanford University, who was involved in the treatment of the woman, said that even if this were true, 'at least one fetus would have been conceived spontaneously'.
Dr Milki also said that to prevent multiple births of this type, IVF patients should be advised against unprotected sex during their treatment, especially at the early stages of ovarian stimulation.
Sources and References
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Sex warning for IVF couples
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Women undergoing IVF are warned about sex