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What is Fetal Reduction?

Fetal Reduction is a procedure used to reduce the number of fetuses in multiple pregnancies, usually more than two. When pregnancy involves three or more fetuses, the risks of miscarriage, stillbirth, and structural malformation increase with each additional fetus. Fetal Reduction refers to choosing to reduce a fetus in multiple pregnancies, decrease the health risks to the mother in carrying and giving birth to more than one or two babies, and decrease the risk of complications to the remaining fetuses. The chance of multiple pregnancies increases in the case of artificial reproductive techniques. An IVF aims to achieve and sustain a safe pregnancy that results in a healthy baby.

Fetal Redction

Worried about your fetal reduction procedure? Get a second opinion from the best fetal medicine specialist in Chennai, Dr. Raghav Arora

Experience

With over 15 years of experience,, Dr. Raghav Arora has performed over 1,50,000 successful scans.

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We understand your nervousness after a scan, so we provide same-day reports to ease your mind and save your time.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • The most common fetal reduction method is transabdominal (through the abdomen). For this procedure, the doctor uses ultrasound as a guide and inserts a needle through the mother’s abdomen and into the uterus to the selected fetus. The doctor injects the fetus with a potassium chloride/ lignocaine solution, which stops the fetal heart.
  • Because it is very small during the first trimester, the reduced fetus is usually absorbed by the mother’s body. This may include some vaginal bleeding.

The goal of Fetal Reduction to increase the chance of a successful, healthy pregnancy. 

  • Is usually done early in a pregnancy, between 11 to 14 weeks.
  • Is most often done when there are three or more fetuses present.
  • Can be used to reduce triplets to twins.
  • Is known as “selective termination” when it involves a fetus with severe defects or one which would threaten the life of the surviving fetus or fetuses.

  • As the number of fetuses increases, the risks of preterm delivery also increase: the average length of pregnancy is known to reduce as the number of fetuses increases.

    For example, it is 40 weeks for a singleton, whereas, for twins, it is 36 weeks. This reduces dramatically to 32 to 33 weeks for triplets and 28 to 29 weeks for quadruplets

  • It is usually done between 11 to 14 weeks of pregnancy. It could be done in combination with the first-trimester screening. The procedure usually does not have any adverse effect on the surviving fetus.

     

  • While performing the routine screening ultrasound at 12 to 13 weeks, the fetus which displays signs of an abnormality is selected for Reduction.

    If all the fetuses appear normal during the ultrasound scan, then the easily approachable fetus is targeted for Reduction. It must be noted that fetuses are not selected based on gender.

    This is strictly prohibited under PCPNDT law, and the sex of the fetuses are not revealed and is also not studied.

      • In higher-order multiple pregnancies (three or more), malformation or intra-uterine death risks are higher with each additional fetus.
      • While fetal Reduction increases the chances of healthy survival for the remaining fetuses, it may sometimes lead to miscarriage of the remaining fetuses, preterm labor or infection.
      • About 75% of women who undergo fetal Reduction will go into premature labor. About 4-5% of women undergoing fetal Reduction also miscarry one or more of the remaining fetuses. Other side effects include fever, vaginal bleeding, leaking or contractions.
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