IVF Infertility Treatment Information

Around 6,000 babies a year are born in the UK to otherwise infertile couples as a result of in vitro fertilisation. IVF was developed in the 1970s. The first British test tube baby was Louise Brown, who was born in 1977. Some 30,000 test tube babies have been born in the UK since then.

There are several different techniques, but the main process involves taking fertility drugs to help produce more eggs. The eggs are then harvested and fertilised in the laboratory.

Less than 1 in 5 cycles of IVF treatment are funded by the NHS and waiting times can vary enormously.

A British woman has given birth to a baby which was screened as an embryo to make sure it was healthy - even though there was no family history of genetic disorders.

It is believed to be the first such birth in the UK. Up until now, only women with a family history of genetic disease could have embryos checked in this way.

The rules were changed in 2002 and doctors believe this test could help more woman to have babies.

As women get older, the chances of producing abnormal embryos increases steadily - and experts believe that screening may be a way to improve the fertility of older women.

These abnormalities are blamed for many cases of recurrent miscarriage, and might be the cause of "unexplained infertility" in many other women.

In Prague, it can be offered to women over the age of 36 or to women who have had repeated miscarriages.

Doctors believe it could dramatically increase IVF success rates, raising the chances of a having a baby to between 60% and 80%.

Age alone should not stop women in their 50s from receiving fertility treatment, say doctors. Even post-menopausal women were able to have babies using eggs donated by younger women, according to a US study.

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We understand this is a very personal matter, feel confident that if we contact you by phone we will be discreet and only discuss the details of our fertility treatment services directly with you. Your details will be treated with strict confidentiality and will be used only to deal with your inquiry.

Note
Please note that in accordance with the latest guidance from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) we do not offer any “egg giving” schemes whereby the donor donates eggs from one cycle of infertility treatment and uses a second cycle. This does not affect altruistic egg giving where the donor donates all eggs produced during IVF treatment.