Selective Reduction

Selective reduction, also called multifetal pregnancy reduction, is the practice of reducing the number of fetuses in a multiple pregnancy, such as a quadruplet pregnancy, to a twin or singleton pregnancy in order to improve the chances of a safe outcome. It is performed in the first trimester by injecting potassium chloride into the hearts of the selected fetuses under ultrasound guidance, and the technique was developed by reproductive specialists in the mid 1980s after they recognized the health risks of higher order multiple pregnancies.