Introduction to the 2008 National Report

State Clinics and National Summary

Data provided by U.S. clinics that use assisted reproductive technology (ART) to treat infertility are a rich source of information about the factors that contribute to a successful ART treatment—the delivery of a live-born infant. Pooling the data from all reporting clinics provides an overall national picture that could not be obtained by examining data from an individual clinic.

A woman’s chances of having a pregnancy and a live birth by using ART are influenced by many factors, some of which are patient-related and outside a clinic’s control (e.g., the woman’s age, the cause of infertility). Because the national data set includes information on many of these factors, it can give potential ART users an idea of their average chances of success. Average chances, however, do not necessarily apply to a particular individual or couple. People considering ART should consult their physician to discuss all the factors that apply in their particular case.

The data for this national report come from the 436 fertility clinics in operation in 2008 that provided and verified data on the outcomes of all ART cycles started in their clinics. The 148,055 ART cycles performed at these reporting clinics in 2008 resulted in 46,326 live births (deliveries of one or more living infants) and 61,426 infants.

The national report consists of graphs and charts that use 2008 data to answer specific questions related to ART success rates. These figures are organized according to the type of ART procedure used. Some ART procedures use a woman’s own eggs, and others use donated eggs or embryos. (Although sperm used to create an embryo also may be either from a woman’s partner or from a sperm donor, information in this report is presented according to the source of the egg.) In some procedures, the embryos that develop are transferred back to the woman (fresh embryo transfer); in others, the embryos are frozen (cryopreserved) for transfer at a later date. This report includes data on frozen embryos that were thawed and transferred in 2008.

The national report has five sections:

• Section 1 (Figures 1 through 5) presents information from all ART procedures reported.
• Section 2 (Figures 6 through 42) presents information on the ART cycles that used only fresh embryos from nondonor eggs or, in a few cases, a mixture of fresh and frozen embryos from nondonor eggs (104,673 cycles resulting in 85,533 transfers).
• Section 3 (Figures 43 through 45) presents information on the ART cycles that used only frozen embryos from nondonor eggs (25,261 cycles resulting in 23,301 transfers).
• Section 4 (Figures 46 through 50) presents information on the ART cycles that used only donated eggs or embryos (18,121 cycles resulting in 16,579 transfers).
• Section 5 (Figures 51 through 63) presents trends in the number of ART procedures and success rates over the past 10 years, from 1999 through 2008.

The 2008 national summary table is based on data from all clinics included in this report; also included are the individual clinic tables. See an explanation of how to read these tables.