HC Deb 19 December 1986 vol 107 cc790-1W
Mr. Wigley

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has on research into the outcome of pregnancy following infertility treatment and in vitro fertilisation, including problems associated with neo-natal care for such babies born in a multiple birth.

Mrs. Currie

We are aware of two research projects currently in progress. The Medical Research Council is organising a follow-up study of children born as a result of in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The national perinatal epidemiology unit and the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys are jointly carrying out a study of triplet and higher order births in 1979–80 and 1982–84. This study will investigate both the extent to which multiple births in these years arose from in vitro fetilisation and drugs used to treat infertility, and neo-natal care for babies born in multiple births.