Jan, at age 37, was married for the first time. Ever since she was could remember she wanted children. Her life hadn't exactly gone according to plan. After two broken engagements, Jan thought she'd never meet the right man. When Bob came along, she'd almost given up hope. They met when Jan was 35, dated two years, married and immediately began trying to conceive a child.

After two ectopic pregnancies in one year, Jan and Bob opted to try IVF given Jan's age and fallopian tube damage. Four viable embryos were transferred to Jan's uterus. To everyone's amazement, four embryos began to grow in Jan's womb. Jan, a short and petite woman, could hardly believe the news. She was going to have quadruplets.

The bigger shock came when the treating physician recommended Jan and Bob consider selective reduction. After longing to have children, the couple was now being asked to consider "reducing" the number of fetuses in order to give one or two a better chance to survive.

Jan and Bob were horrified at the thought. Neither believed in abortion and couldn't imagine making a choice as to which fetuses would be given a chance to survive.

The procedure, selective reduction, is often recommended when multiple births are possible. The doctor inserts a needle filled with potassium chloride into the fetal heart, causing death. Jan and Bob were advised to consider this procedure around the 12^th week of pregnancy but were told they had a few weeks to decide.

The doctor felt there were several factors to consider. Jan was small- boned and petite. Her body would have difficulty making room for four babies. The risks with multiple births usually include premature birth and physical problems as potentially severe as cerebral palsy. And the doctor felt certain that not all the babies would survive. The doctor was legally required to tell Bob and Jan of their right to selective reduction. The decision, of course, was theirs.

Unfortunately, Jan and Bob did not face a unique problem. According to Gene Rudd, associate director of the Christian Medical and Dental Society, high tech techniques are responsible for 75% of multiple gestations in the U.S. About 40% are due to fertility drugs and 35% from in vitro fertilizations.

Infertile couples, Christian and non-Christian, are often so desperate to achieve pregnancy, an issue like selective reduction is not raised when multiple embryos are implanted in the woman's uterus. When several embryos develop, the obvious moral dilemma is, do you abort a life in order to improve the survival of another? What would you do? Jan and Bob were told that most likely one or possibly all of the developing fetuses would die if they did not use the selective reduction option.

Dr. Linda S. Mintle is feature writer for Christianity.com.