HC Deb 27 February 2003 vol 400 c699W
Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many licensed clinics offer single ovum IVF; and how many couples have been offered the option of this procedure; [97987]

(2) what the take-home-baby rate has been for IVF in unstimulated cycles (single ovum IVF). [97988]

Ms Blears

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) does not record centres routinely offering treatment involving unstimulated cycles. For this reason it is unable to provide information on the exact number of centres that have provided this service. However, if a patient requests a natural cycle for medical or other reasons, the HFEA has advised that the clinic would consider providing this treatment.

Information on total number of live births resulting from an unstimulated in vitro fertilisation treatment cycle is shown in the table.

Natural IVF Cycles—fresh, unstimulated cycles using the patient's own oocytes1,2
Time period Cycles Live births Birth rate percentage
1 August to 31 December 1991 358 23 6.4
1 January to 31 December 1992 823 52 6.3
1 January to 31 December 1993 827 37 4.5
1 January to 31 December 1994 628 16 2.5
1 January to 31 December 1995 387 7 1.8
1 January to 31 December 1996 196 4 2.0
1 January to 31 December 1997 91 2 2.2
1 January to 31 December 1998 94 4 4.3
1 January to 31 March 19993 28
Erroneous cycle dates4 4
Total 3,436 145 4.2
1Data as recorded on the HFEA register.
2As cycles are unstimulated (natural), single embryo transfers are routine. Where two oocytes are produced and both fertilise, two embryos could be replaced.
3January to March 1999 is the most recent period for which figures are available.
4Four cycles where year not correctly recorded.

Source:

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority