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Women over 55 queuing at London clinics for IVF
Sophie Goodchild, Health and Social Affairs Correspondent26 Feb 2010
Two women aged 58 are set to receive fertility treatment at a London clinic as record numbers attempt to become pregnant after the menopause.
The two patients are thought to be the oldest so far to seek IVF treatment after the medical centre changed its policy on older mothers.
One of those in contact with the London Women's Clinic has already been through seven failed IVF cycles. She is married and has no existing children.
The development comes amid growing debate over the age at which women should be allowed to receive fertility treatment. The clinic provoked an ethical storm last month after it emerged that doctors held a consultation with Susan Tollefsen, 59, a retired special needs teacher from Essex.
Mrs Tollefsen had her first child aged 57 at a Moscow clinic and would be the oldest woman in the UK to have an IVF baby if she went ahead with treatment.
At present, most private clinics observe a guideline prohibiting treatment for women over the age of 50, while the NHS has a cut-off point of 39. This has prompted some older women to visit foreign clinics with more liberal rules. But the London Women's Clinic said it would consider older patients because women were living longer and it believed that other centres would be obliged to review their policies.
Its medical director Peter Bowen-
Simpkins said numbers contacting the clinic in the last month were still small but represented a huge rise overall.
Until now, only eight women over 55 had contacted the clinic for fertility treatment in the last five years. Since the change in policy, however, six over that age have sought consultation over IVF. The clinic is still deciding whether to agree to the treatment.
Mr Bowen-Simpkins said: “These are women who wouldn't have even bothered to contact us in the past. Instead, they would have gone abroad. Now they know there is a chance they might get treatment here.”
About 20 babies a year are born in Britain to women over the age of 50 through IVF, according to figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. It does not hold individual statistics for numbers born to women aged 55 and over.
In 2002 a British woman became the oldest mother of twins at 56 after IVF treatment at the London Fertility Centre. Lynne Bezant had been turned down by other clinics until Professor Ian Craft took her on as an “exceptional” case, despite the fact she had three grown-up children.
Professor Craft has since retired and his clinic now has a cut-off point of 50 for fertility treatment.
The London Women's Clinic has also been given the go-ahead to launch the UK's largest sperm bank in an attempt to overcome the shortage of donors.
Its London Sperm Bank in Harley Street officially opened today after receiving approval from the HFEA. It will also sell sperm to the NHS in a bid to help women who wish to have children — including those who are single or in lesbian relationships.
The British Fertility Society has described the UK's shortage of donor sperm as “critical” and has called for a national infrastructure of clinics to tackle the problem. Ministers are considering introducing a dedicated donor recruitment programme which would run along similar lines to the blood donation service. Dr Kamal Ahuja, the LWC's scientific director, said: “This partnership will provide hope to thousands of women. Many people are unaware of the critical role sperm banks play in helping couples start a family. Our aim is to get more men thinking seriously about becoming a donor.”
The number of donors fell after the Government changed the law in 2005 so children born from donated gametes could learn the identity of their biological parents when they reach 18. Although the number of donors is now increasing, in 2008 there were still only 384 donors in England and Wales.
Around 4,000 UK patients require donor insemination each year but many clinics are struggling to meet the demand.
Reader views (9)
I feel the idea of selfishness is completely misplaced in this discussion. How much better off is a child with the parental guidance of a teenager as mother-- or father? Or with neither, or left to the streets?
Good luck to the ladies, and also the hopeful fathers to be.
- George, earth, earth, 28/02/2010 03:32
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If this was a male there would be no problems- ie one of the Dimbleby brothers, Charlie Chaplin, Des O'Connor and so on. These are educated woman, not silly fourteen year old girls who have nothing. They will give these children a wonderful life and I only wish it had been available when it was discovered I could not have children.
- Amber In Mitcham, Mitcham Surrey, 26/02/2010 19:51
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Your headline makes out as if they are queuing round the block! Still, there are 2 misguided, selfish, women hanging about.
- Sally, hertford UK, 26/02/2010 16:30
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...It does seem a little selfish (understatement)....
How old will the child be when their parents die of old age? How many children will be born with known problems of mature birth?
Children aren't a right. They are a responsibility.
- Rogan, Irving, 26/02/2010 16:09
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I see nothing wrong with old women becoming mothers; women were born to be mothers; so what has age got to do with it?
I think many old age women pensioners will soon be using IVF in order to get family allowances, as they can't live on the state old age pension etc.
Young women do much the same to get a council home; so lets not be ageist here; all is fair in love and survival, and state benefits.
- Mickinlondon, london, 26/02/2010 14:17
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Queuing up! I hardly think so.
- Esther, Somers Town, London, 26/02/2010 13:35
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Should this be allowed, they will be pensioners whilst the child is still at school.
- Shallotman, Basildon, 26/02/2010 13:27
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These women are totally and utterly selfish. Think of the poor children they are bringing into this world. How on earth is a 10 year old going to cope with a 70 year old parent. The poor kids will be caring for the parents.
It's WRONG WRONG WRONG
- Jl, London, 26/02/2010 13:14
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This is unethical I do hope the NHS is not funding any of this for these spoilt people. There are enough children who need adoption this is pure selfishness
- Duncan, Kent, 26/02/2010 13:08
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