The doctor who carried out the procedure, Dr Sundav Sugantha, who was working in an unpaid training post, said she could not remember the actual procedure but was confident she would have followed her normal practice of agreeing how many embryos were to be implanted immediately beforehand. Since the birth of the triplets in 1997, the couple, from Thrybergh in South Yorkshire, have had a fourth child, conceived naturally and unexpectedly. However, Mr Thompson, who is 57, has since suffered a heart attack followed by a bypass operation. Sedatives given Dr Elizabeth Lenton said it was standard practice to implant three embryos Mrs Thompson claimed that sedatives given before the operation had an effect on her mental state before she was asked whether three embryos should be implanted. Although only a small proportion of those women given three embryos following IVF actually go on to have a triplet pregnancy, the extra health risks associated with this are significant.
Modern guidelines recommend that no more than two embryos are implanted by fertility clinics.
The guidance is to take all possible steps to minimise the risk of multiple pregnancies. The key thing is that it is discussed fully with the parents.