The Reverend Joanna Jepson has expressed her outrage over new reports that fetuses with minor defects, such as clubbed feet, are being aborted. The Church of England curate has accused doctors of 'encouraging' women to have a termination where there are cosmetic defects which could be easily...
The UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has published a new edition - in hard copy and online - of its annual 'Guide to Infertility'. The Guide contains details of all UK clinics that are licensed under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 to carry out...
The UK's North Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust (PCT) has said that no new couples will be referred for IVF treatment until at least next April. It has decided to suspend the provision of fertility treatment services in order to save money - it is estimated that the...
The UK scientist who lead the team responsible for creating Dolly the sheep has suggested using cloning technology to eradicate disease genes in early human embryos. In a new book, currently being serialised in the Daily Telegraph newspaper, Professor Ian Wilmut says that it would be...
A new drug based on a human protein extracted from the milk of genetically altered goats has been approved for use by European regulators. Atryn, given the go-ahead by the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) last week, is the first treatment of its kind to be approved...
A team of scientists at Newcastle University's UK Centre for Cord Blood has established a valuable collaboration with Minnesota-based biomedical company BioE to develop improved protocols for isolating cord blood cells with therapeutic potential, and to improve protocols on all aspects of working with donated umbilical cord...
Israeli scientists have uncovered new evidence that differences in sexual drive and desire can be correlated to particular gene variations. The team combined research into a recently discovered specific dopamine receptor (DRD4), which has been shown to induce penile erection through a central mechanism in rats, with...
A paper has been published in the Journal of Medical Ethics that investigates the possibility of trialling gene therapy for cystic fibrosis (CF) in children with the condition. Conventional wisdom has generally suggested that it would be unethical to use untested new treatments, such as gene therapy...
A British couple have spoken to the press about the 'nightmare' they have gone through since a mistake was made during treatment they received at a Leeds fertility clinic six years ago. This is the first time the couple have spoken publicly about their situation, despite...
Stay up-to-date on all the latest developments in the fields of human fertility and genomics. And be the first to hear about upcoming events and other announcements.
Comment
The burden of multiple pregnancies after IVF treatment
by Professor William Ledger
Last week's release of the latest Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) dataset shows that many IVF clinics in the UK are achieving outstanding results. However, the data also clearly show that the burden of multiple pregnancies after IVF treatment remains too high, and that there is clear correlation between...