Quadruplets born after IVF
Couple travelled to Turkey for controversial fertility treatment
Emily Bates, 29, and husband Simon, 34, are now parents to six-week old quadruplets after they sought IVF treatment in Istanbul, reports the Daily Mail. Here, their chances of conception were greater because three embryos were implanted, something IVF clinics UK and Western Europe won’t do.
Emily and Simon’s first IVF treatment was unsuccessful, after they suffered a miscarriage. After some internet research, they headed to Istanbul. In Britain and Western Europe, clinics won’t use more than two embryos because of the risk of complications. In Turkey, Emily and Simon had three embryos used in their IVF treatment.
The couple was told there was a 4% chance of all three developing, meaning they’d be parents to triplets. However, one of the three embryos split to form identical twins. At the 12-week scan, Emily and Simon fund out they were expecting quads.
The chances of having four babies from three embryos through IVF are about one in 1.5million.
The option of terminating two of the fetuses to improve the chances of survival for the other two was turned down by the couple.
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The quadruplets were delivered at 30 weeks by a planned caesarean in a hospital in Cambridge. Baby Leo weighed 3lb 6oz, Kayley 3lb, Jess 2lb 6oz and Carrie 3lb. Kayley and Jesse are the identical twins.
Concerns have previously been expressed at the amount of UK couples heading abroad for fertility treatment – it’s an expensive process that may come with additional risks and the NHS could be left to pick up the bill when complications occur.
Do you think couples trying to conceive should be able to undergo fertility treatment abroad that wouldn’t be allowed in Britain? Let us know…
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