Patients at certain infertility clinics in the UK have a six times better chance of conceiving than others, according to figures published in the annual patients' guide last week by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). One London clinic is achieving a 'take home baby rate' of 36.7 per cent for all women treated compared to a Salford clinic where the same rate is 6 per cent. The national average is 17.4 per cent for women of all ages. However, fertility specialists have pointed out that because some clinics are less happy to treat older women, they are effectively 'cherry picking' those patients most likely to get pregnant, thereby boosting their success rate.
The Patients' Guide to DI (donor insemination) and IVF (in vitro fertilisation) Clinics shows for the first time success rates broken down by age. Ruth Deech, Chairman of the HFEA, said: 'Many factors can determine the chances of having a baby, such as the age of the woman, the quality of the sperm, the number of embryos replaced and the length of time the couple has been trying to have a family. A patient's decision on the best clinic for him or her should not be based solely on live birth rate. They should for example consider each clinic's policy on reducing multiple births, cost, location and waiting times'. The figures show that, on average, one in six treatment cycles carried out last year at the UK's 75 fertility clinics resulted in a live birth, the rate rising to almost one in five for women under the age of 38. This is a significant improvement on the beginning of the decade when the national average was less than one in seven.
Sources and References
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Heartache for couples who enter IVF lottery
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Figures expose Britain's worst fertility clinics
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How expectations vary at test-tube baby clinics
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One in five fertility treatments are a success
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