IVF births top 10,000
The number of women giving birth in one year thanks to IVF has topped 10,000 for the first time.
Posted: 9 October 2008
IVF success rates have jumped 13% in 2006, compared with the previous year.
A total of 10,242 women gave birth as a result of IVF treatment, delivering 12,596 babies, with success rates rising across all ages.
Almost a quarter of treatment cycles now lead to a live birth, figures released by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority showed.
"In the year that we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the birth of the world's first IVF baby, these latest figures show just how far we've come," said chairman Professor Lisa Jardine.
The HFEA's latest figures show a total of 34,855 women had IVF treatment in 2006 - a 6.8% rise on 2005.
They underwent 44,275 treatment cycles, with 23.1% resulting in a live birth.
In 1992, the live birth rate was just 13%.
The rate of multiple births fell, although this came after HFEA warnings about the health risks of such births.
But donor insemination treatments dropped by 28% following the introduction of the controversial father identity law in 2005. The HFEA said it was "supportive" of attempts to recruit more donors.
So what do you think?
