"Typically one or two embryos are inserted into a woman's uterus during one round of IVF. Even then, the patient has about a 60 percent chance of getting pregnant at all. Blastocysts have a significantly higher implantation potential than day 3 embryos, the physician can transfer only two embryos and keep pregnancy rates high (over 50% per egg retrieval procedure in some programs for women under age 40) and triplet pregnancy rates down in the 2% to 4% range.
Embryo splitting is simply what its name suggests. A new, identical embryo is split off from the initial embryo created within the IVF laboratory. Primarily, it’s the same procedure that happens naturally in producing identical twins.
Embryo splitting is safely and efficiently used for assisted reproduction in many livestock species.
Within the mouse, efficient embryo splitting as well as single cell cloning are developed in this animal system. In nonhuman primates embryo splitting has resulted in many pregnancies.
Embryo splitting could refer to: when spontaneous, the natural way in which identical twins are formed. Once artificially induced, a technique of cloning.
Embryo splitting refers to the formation of twins or multiples through artificial microsurgical splitting of an embryo. The cells obtained using this method can each develop into a whole organism in an acceptable environment."