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In a major breakthrough in IVF study, Australian scientists have found that the chances of a baby being still born or not surviving more than a month was 53 percent higher when two embryos were transferred to the mother's uterus.

The research that studied more than 50,000 births in Australia and New Zealand found that the difference was obvious among fresh embryo births than frozen embryos.

The chances of perinatal mortality were found to be 74 per cent higher in births involving two fresh embryos.

Babies born after single embryo transfer were "bigger, less premature and have lower abnormality rates," other studies have shown, says Michael Chapman, from the University of New South Wales,according to Telegraph.

"Compared with babies who were born after a double embryo transfer, the single embryo transfer babies fared much better in terms of birth weight, in terms of still birth, in terms of complications of pregnancy," Dr Chapman added.

Infant mortality rates have come down ever since Australia's policy of promoting single embryo implants, said lead author of the study, Elizabeth Sullivan.

"The number of embryos transferred per procedure is the major determinant of multiple pregnancy and multiple delivery, which contribute to an elevated risk of preterm birth and low birth weight," Professor Sullivan said.

"These are risks in addition to those already faced by women being treated for infertility."

The study was presented this week at a meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Turkey.