IVF may become a plausible option for many more couples desperate to conceive
Do you know anyone who’s been through IVF? Perhaps you’ve tried
yourself? Anyone will tell you that the process is physically and
emotionally grueling and can be incredibly expensive. However, a new
method of affordable IVF is being trialled in the UK, which could save
thousands for couples desperate for a baby.
The NHS funds some IVF,
but lack of funding means you’ll probably only receive one cycle. Two
out of three women need more than one to conceive, and so self-funding
further cycles leaves many couples facing thousands of pounds of debt.
However, a new low-cost technique is on trial, promising to cut costs to
less than £1000 per cycle – potentially allowing more couples to
achieve their dream of becoming parents.
The old technique
Conventional IVF needs an expensive carbon dioxide incubator with a
steady gas supply and air purification methods to create the perfect
conditions (not too acidic or too alkaline) for embryos to develop.
Needless to say, the costs quickly add up.
Keep it (relatively) simple
Instead of costly labs and high doses of expensive hormones, the new
technique simply uses two airtight rubber-stoppered test tubes costing
less than 10 pence, connected by a plastic tube. Carbon dioxide is made
in the first tube to create the ideal pH level. The gas travels via the
rubber tube to the second test tube, into which egg cells and sperm are
injected – cue fertilisation (hopefully). The embryos initially grow
inside the tube; after two or three days, they’re ready to be
transferred into the womb.
So far, so good
It may be early days, but success
rates of this new method are promising. The first trial happened in
Belgium last year, producing pregnancy rates equal to those of the
standard higher-cost technique – a third of the women involved became
pregnant.
It suits most, but not everyone
The new method is designed to tackle about 60 per cent of IVF cases,
but it won’t work for all prospective IVF couples. Around 30-40 per cent
of patients will have severe male factor infertility, which require
techniques such as intra-cytoplasmic sperm infection, where a single
sperm is selected and then injected into an egg. However, most couples
seeking treatment require IVF, and research so far suggests this new
lower cost IVF offers just as good a chance of success as the more
expensive version.
Try a mild touch
Usually, IVF uses high doses of hormones to stimulate ovaries into
producing more eggs, but this can lead to ovarian hyperstimulation
syndrome – a serious and sometimes fatal condition. Some clinics offer
natural ‘mild IVF’. A gentler process, it needs lower drug doses over
shorter periods within a woman’s cycle, meaning fewer side effects. The
aim is to produce higher quality eggs and embryos over quantity. Best of
all, it can be 30-40% cheaper than traditional IVF – higher quality
embryos means reduced costs of screening for genetic faults.
A fresh take on egg freezing
Advances in rapid freezing methods mean pregnancy rates are now
comparable to those of IVF with fresh eggs, as is the health of
resulting children. Still, it’s important to remember that IVF success
rates with fresh and frozen eggs fall with increasing age. If you’re
considering freezing your eggs for the future, it’s best to do so by
your early 30s. Old news, perhaps, but a handy reminder.
No comments: