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Ten test-tube babies born every day after 11,000 women undergo IVF in the capital
Anna Davis, Education Correspondent30 Sep 2009
More than 4,000 babies were born in one year after their mothers had IVF treatment in London.
Figures show more than 11,000 women were given fertility treatment in the capital in 2007 and gave birth to 4,227 babies.
It comes as the number of women undergoing IVF treatment nationally has reached record levels. A total of 36,861 women had the treatment across the country in 2007 — an increase of 5.8 per cent on the previous year.
From tomorrow all fertility clinics are to be rated on the chance of women treated there delivering a baby.
At the same time most of the amended Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act will come into force. Among other things this allows people conceived by a sperm or egg donor to identify their half-siblings.
The new website from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, called Choose a Fertility Clinic, will give the “predicted chance” of a live birth at each clinic.
Anya Sizer, from Stoke Newington, went through five cycles of IVF treatment, and has two children. The 35-year-old said: “I did look at league tables when I was choosing which clinic to go to. In the past it has been quite hard to read the tables... so the new way of rating clinics is fantastic.
“But clinics are not just about league tables. Women need to look at how they feel about the staff, their gut feeling and how close it is to their home.”
Latest figures from the HFEA highlight the impact of age on IVF success. For women aged 35 or under, 32 per cent of treatments resulted in a live birth, but for women aged over 44 undergoing the same treatment, the live birth rate was 3 per cent.
Mrs Sizer, who now coaches other couples going through fertility treatment, said: “Going through IVF treatment is like a series of bereavements. Nothing in my life has even touched it in terms of stress.
“But the rise in the number of women having IVF does not surprise me. There have been massive advancements since I started my first treatment seven years ago.”
Professor Lisa Jardine, chairwoman of the HFEA, said: “Fertility treatment is big business in the UK. People can spend thousands of pounds in the hope of having a baby. It is only right that people have access to as much information as possible to help them make a choice about where they go.
“Choose a Fertility Clinic should be the starting point for anyone considering fertility treatment as it will help them understand their options, their chances of success and how to go about choosing the right clinic to meet their needs.
“Every patient is different and most clinics have live birth rates around the national average. These factors make it even more important for patients to see in detail what each clinic has to offer.”
Reader views (2)
Oh for goodness sake - STOP HAVING CHILDREN. If you cant have them then that’s tough, but we do not need any more people in London, especially if they are created to order by some sort of intervention process.
Any IVF must be given on the basis that people do not live in London and are full means tested to support the child until the age of 18. A refundable money deposit must be lodged to ensure that the child is adequately supported and NO SOCIAL SECURITY will be given for any child created through IVF. Cant’ afford this then no children, life’s tough
Sounds drastic, decisions like these will need to be taken because we do not have the infrastructure in London to continue this logarithmic population multiplication in London for very much longer !
- James, City of London, 30/09/2009 11:34
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Patients don't want a prediction, they want a baby. So why give a guess instead of the actual clinic success rates, like they have published in the past? I disagree with Anya Sizer, the old statistics were simple, the new ones sound v fuzzy
- Cathy Brown, London UK, 30/09/2009 10:27
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