Fitzgerald, O., Paul, R. C., Harris, K., & Chambers, G. M. (2018). Assisted Reproductive Technology in Australia and New Zealand 2016. National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit. https://doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/30472
Fitzgerald O, Paul RC, Harris K, Chambers GM. Assisted Reproductive Technology in Australia and New Zealand 2016. National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit; 2018. doi:10.26190/unsworks/30472
Fitzgerald, Oisin, et al. Assisted Reproductive Technology in Australia and New Zealand 2016. National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit, 2018.
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RRM Academy Synopsis
IVF Success Rates in Australia and New Zealand, 2016 Data
This 2018 registry report counted IVF cycles from clinics in Australia and New Zealand in 2016. About 18 out of 100 cycles ended in a live birth. Using a woman's own eggs, results varied by age: about 37 out of 100 fresh embryo transfers led to a birth in women under 30, versus about 1 out of 100 after 44.
Key Findings
81,062 ART cycles were reported in 2016: 74,357 from Australian clinics and 6,705 from New Zealand clinics, a 4.0% and 7.4% rise over 2015.
Of the 81,062 cycles, 18,269 (22.5%) resulted in a clinical pregnancy and 14,515 (17.9%) in a live delivery; 15,198 babies were born, including 15,057 liveborn.
Live delivery rate per own-egg (autologous) embryo transfer was 36.9% (fresh) and 33.3% (thaw) for women under 30, versus 1.3% and 11.8% for women over 44.
A cohort of 15,475 women, each starting their very first fresh, non-donor, non-freeze-all IVF cycle in 2014, had a 22.5% live delivery rate at cycle one and 11.9% by cycle eight.
The multiple delivery rate fell 42%, from 6.5% in 2012 to 3.8% in 2016, as single embryo transfer rose from 73.2% to 87.7% of embryo transfer cycles.
Interpretation
This is a national registry report. Every accredited clinic in the two countries must report every cycle. The numbers describe a whole country's practice, drawn from every accredited clinic. Each rate reflects one treatment attempt. The rate does not add up a couple's chance across several cycles. The cycle-specific table follows only one group of women who started in 2014. In that group, about 1 in 4 women who did not have a baby in a cycle did not return for another. The report does not explain why they stopped coming back. The registry does not compare IVF to any other way to treat infertility.
RRM Context
This registry counts outcomes per cycle or per embryo transfer. The registry does not track a couple's full chance across a whole course of care. Success fell from about 1 in 3 fresh own-egg embryo transfers under age 30 to about 1 in 100 after 44. About a quarter of unsuccessful patients left treatment with no reason recorded. Restorative reproductive medicine takes a different starting point: finding why conception is not happening, before more cycles of treatment.
Our editorial summary of this paper, not the article's abstract.
Key figures
Treatment activity, 2016
Measure
Value
Source
Total ART cycles reported, Australia and New Zealand
81,062
Summary
ART cycles reported in Australia
74,357
Summary
ART cycles reported in New Zealand
6,705
Summary
Autologous cycles as share of all ART treatments
94.1%
Report text
Frozen thawed embryo cycles as share of autologous cycles
38.1%
Report text
Patient characteristics, 2016
Measure
Value
Source
Average age of women in autologous ART cycles
35.8 years
Report text
Autologous-cycle women aged 40 or older
24.5%
Report text
Pregnancy and birth outcomes, 2016
Measure
Value
Source
Clinical pregnancy rate per initiated ART cycle
22.5% (18,269)
Report text
Live delivery rate per initiated ART cycle
17.9% (14,515)
Report text
Clinical pregnancy rate per embryo transfer, all ART cycles
33.0%
Report text
Live delivery rate per initiated autologous fresh cycle, excluding freeze-all
16.4%
Report text
Live delivery rate per autologous fresh cycle reaching embryo transfer
23.7%
Report text
Live delivery rate per initiated autologous thaw cycle
27.3%
Report text
Live delivery rate per autologous thaw cycle reaching embryo transfer
28.4%
Report text
Live delivery rate per embryo transfer, autologous fresh cycles, women under 30
36.9%
Report text
Live delivery rate per embryo transfer, autologous thaw cycles, women under 30
33.3%
Report text
Live delivery rate per embryo transfer, autologous fresh cycles, women over 44
1.3%
Report text
Live delivery rate per embryo transfer, autologous thaw cycles, women over 44
11.8%
Report text
Babies born and multiples, 2016
Measure
Value
Source
Total babies born following ART
15,198
Report text
Liveborn babies following ART
15,057
Report text
Full-term singleton babies of normal birthweight, share of ART births
80.1%
Report text
Trends, 2012 to 2016
Measure
Value
Source
ART multiple-delivery rate, 2012 to 2016
6.5% to 3.8%
Report text
Decrease in ART multiple-delivery rate, 2012 to 2016
42%
Report text
Single embryo transfer rate, 2012 to 2016
73.2% to 87.7%
Report text
Live delivery rate per embryo transfer, 2012 to 2016
22.5% to 26.2%
Report text
Improvement in live delivery rate per embryo transfer, 2012 to 2016
16.7%
Report text
Our summary of the report's published figures, each citing its table, figure or section. The full report is at the publisher's link.
