Call for new curbs on IVF treatment

New fears over fertility treatment emerged today as health experts warn women's lives are being put at risk.

Evening Standard has seen evidence submitted to MPs that implanting multiple embryos is causing huge numbers of premature births. Specialists say the widespread tactic is a cynical bid to boost clinics' profits and also puts huge pressure on the NHS, which has to look after the babies.

Many clinics advertise success rates based on the number of pregnancies achieved, rather than the number of babies born. It is claimed some doctors deliberately risk multiple pregnancies because it makes results look better.

The alarm was raised by some of the UK's most eminent fertility specialists in evidence to the Commons science and technology select committee, due to report on fertility laws this month.

York University professor Henry Leese, editor-in-chief of the Human Fertility Journal, said: "Women having IVF may be delighted if they get pregnant with twins but multiple births are a major risk.

"Clinics are supposed to spell out the dangers but many do not take it on board. We should move towards single embryo transfer as soon as possible."

Fertility treatment has triggered a doubling in the number of twins and triplets born since 1980. Up to half of successful

IVF treatments result in the birth of twins. Most clinics routinely implant two embryos at once, telling childless women it increases their chances of success.

Clinics have already been banned from implanting three embryos at once.

Transferring more than one embryo at once dramatically increases the risk of miscarriage and complications. About half of all twins are born at least three weeks premature, many of them by emergency caesarean section.

About 80 per cent of fertility treatment in the UK is by private clinics, with fierce competition for patients. While official success rates for clinics published by the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority are based on live births, there is nothing to stop clinics advertising their "pregnancy rates" on websites and brochures.

Professor Peter Braude, head of the department of women's health at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS trust, said: "These issues have an impact on our health service because we pick up the tab for looking after the babies."

Professor Richard Kennedy of the centre for reproductive medicine at Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry, claimed new rules banning the transfer of more than one embryo would "undoubtedly" ease the burden on the NHS.

He said: "It is clear the drive to increase success rates has encouraged the practice of placing more embryos back. I think we would like to move in some instances to single embryo transfer."