The number of people undergoing In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) looks set to increase as greater numbers of women turn to specialist fertility treatment in the hope of becoming a parent.
The most recent figures from the Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority (HFEA) show the number of patients undergoing IVF rose to nearly 35,000 in 2006, up 5 per cent on the previous year. This number is likely to rise even further following the decision by some healthcare trusts to offer up to three IVF treatment cycles on the NHS.
So what does IVF involve?
IVF involves removing eggs from a woman and fertilising them with her partner's sperm in a laboratory. Once embryos have formed, they are placed inside the womb in the hope of achieving a pregnancy. IVF is recommended for women with a number of conditions including unexplained fertility problems and blocked fallopian tubes.
In order to produce more eggs than a normal cycle and improve the chances of success the ovaries are stimulated using fertility drugs. This usually involves injections for around 12 days. During the stimulation phase, a series of ultrasound scans are used to monitor the number and growth of ovarian follicles and the development of the lining of the uterus. The eggs are then collected using a special needle guided by ultrasound. The procedure is usually carried out under heavy sedation but sometimes a general anaesthetic is required.
The next step of the IVF process moves into the laboratory where the sperm sample is assessed. Once the embryologist has selected the most active sperm, they are then placed with the eggs and put in an incubator overnight.
The fertilised eggs (embryos) are then cultured for between two and five days in the laboratory before being transferred into the uterus. The best one or two embryos are selected for transfer either two to three days after egg collection or cultured further until day 5 (Blastocyst transfer). Any other good quality embryos may be stored by freezing (cryopreservation) for possible transfer at a later date.
Sometimes, where the male partner has a low sperm count and/or poor motility or couples have experienced previous failure of fertilisation during IVF a procedure called Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is used. According to the HFEA, ICSI is used in nearly half of all IVF treatment cycles.
IVF success rates
The prospect of IVF can seem daunting for those desperate to conceive. However, according to the latest available statistics from the HFEA, nearly 35,000 women in the UK underwent IVF in 2006 with over 44,000 treatments taking place. From these treatments over 12,500 babies were born.
On average, one in four pregnancies from IVF results in a multiple birth; this can lead to health complications for both the mother and her children. As such, there is a movement towards clinics electing to implant only one embryo in order to reduce the multiple birth rate while maintaining the chances of conception.
Other treatments to combat infertility
One in seven couples trying for a baby experience delays in conceiving, often without finding out a reason why they cannot reproduce. However, there are a number of known causes of infertility (eg poor sperm count, polycystic ovaries) - and therefore a number of different treatments are on offer at IVF clinics to help combat the problem.
Other procedures include intrauterine insemination (IUI), egg donation, assisted hatching, embryo freezing and frozen embryo transfer to name a few. Since Louise Brown, the first IVF baby, was born in 1978 more than three million babies have been born from this procedure and other assisted reproductive treatments.
Thirty years on, advances in techniques, combined with additional funding from the NHS, has ensured the numbers conceiving rises year on year, with an increasingly successful outcome for many.
The most recent figures from the Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority (HFEA) show the number of patients undergoing IVF rose to nearly 35,000 in 2006, up 5 per cent on the previous year. This number is likely to rise even further following the decision by some healthcare trusts to offer up to three IVF treatment cycles on the NHS.
So what does IVF involve?
IVF involves removing eggs from a woman and fertilising them with her partner's sperm in a laboratory. Once embryos have formed, they are placed inside the womb in the hope of achieving a pregnancy. IVF is recommended for women with a number of conditions including unexplained fertility problems and blocked fallopian tubes.
In order to produce more eggs than a normal cycle and improve the chances of success the ovaries are stimulated using fertility drugs. This usually involves injections for around 12 days. During the stimulation phase, a series of ultrasound scans are used to monitor the number and growth of ovarian follicles and the development of the lining of the uterus. The eggs are then collected using a special needle guided by ultrasound. The procedure is usually carried out under heavy sedation but sometimes a general anaesthetic is required.
The next step of the IVF process moves into the laboratory where the sperm sample is assessed. Once the embryologist has selected the most active sperm, they are then placed with the eggs and put in an incubator overnight.
The fertilised eggs (embryos) are then cultured for between two and five days in the laboratory before being transferred into the uterus. The best one or two embryos are selected for transfer either two to three days after egg collection or cultured further until day 5 (Blastocyst transfer). Any other good quality embryos may be stored by freezing (cryopreservation) for possible transfer at a later date.
Sometimes, where the male partner has a low sperm count and/or poor motility or couples have experienced previous failure of fertilisation during IVF a procedure called Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is used. According to the HFEA, ICSI is used in nearly half of all IVF treatment cycles.
IVF success rates
The prospect of IVF can seem daunting for those desperate to conceive. However, according to the latest available statistics from the HFEA, nearly 35,000 women in the UK underwent IVF in 2006 with over 44,000 treatments taking place. From these treatments over 12,500 babies were born.
On average, one in four pregnancies from IVF results in a multiple birth; this can lead to health complications for both the mother and her children. As such, there is a movement towards clinics electing to implant only one embryo in order to reduce the multiple birth rate while maintaining the chances of conception.
Other treatments to combat infertility
One in seven couples trying for a baby experience delays in conceiving, often without finding out a reason why they cannot reproduce. However, there are a number of known causes of infertility (eg poor sperm count, polycystic ovaries) - and therefore a number of different treatments are on offer at IVF clinics to help combat the problem.
Other procedures include intrauterine insemination (IUI), egg donation, assisted hatching, embryo freezing and frozen embryo transfer to name a few. Since Louise Brown, the first IVF baby, was born in 1978 more than three million babies have been born from this procedure and other assisted reproductive treatments.
Thirty years on, advances in techniques, combined with additional funding from the NHS, has ensured the numbers conceiving rises year on year, with an increasingly successful outcome for many.
Information about the Author:
Dom Donaldson is an IVF expert. Find out more about IVF at www.isisfertility.com
