Red light warnings for IVF ‘add-ons’ that could reduce fertility
‘It’s crucial that patients inform themselves about the add-ons they may be offered’
POPULAR IVF “add-on” treatments fail to help women conceive and in some cases harm their chances of having a baby, the fertility regulator has warned.
A new traffic light system intended to protect desperate families from unscrupulous clinics has applied “red light” warnings to four of the 10 most commonly purchased procedures.
These include so-called “assisted hatching”, which uses lasers to help the embryo hatch, and pre-implantation genetic screening (PGS), which the watchdog says risks damaging fragile embryos by cutting into them while testing for abnormalities.
Meanwhile, six remaining treatments, such as endometrial scratching and embryo glue, carry an “amber” designation, meaning that research has indicated some benefit but more robust evidence is needed.
Some of the add-on procedures cost patients up to £3,500, on top of a price tag of around £5,000 for the IVF itself.
The website’s launch comes along- side publication of a new code of conduct requiring fertility clinics to inform patients about the paucity of evidence behind many of the therapies on offer.
It also demands an end to the culture of secrecy among some private providers which limits the ability of watchdogs and academics to assess how well various treatments work. However, the document, which has the backing of 11 professional bodies including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, is not legally enforceable.
It comes as increasing numbers of would-be parents are self-funding IVF because of rationing by the NHS.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence says women with fertility problems should get three cycles of IVF on the NHS, however just 11per cent of health authorities achieve this.
Sally Cheshire, the chairman of the HFEA, said: “It’s crucial that patients inform themselves about the add-ons they may be offered, so that they can ask the right questions, and make the right choices, when choosing what treatment to have.”