IVF: A case of ‘less is more’?

Last month was the 40^th anniversary of the first IVF birth. Louise Brown was born in Oldham General Hospital in 1978 (BBC, 2018). Since then, more than 300 000 babies have been born as a result of IVF treatment, giving precious life to thousands of childless couples. IVF techniques have come a long way since then, and statistics from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) show that fertility treatments in the UK are becoming much safer (HFEA, 2018a). Birth rates have significantly improved, with one in three treatment cycles now resulting in a birth for couples under the age of 35 (HFEA, 2018a), but one thing has remained the same: the desire and hope to have a child.

In 2006, however, HFEA became increasingly concerned about the growing number of multiple pregnancies resulting from IVF treatment and the effects that this was having on maternal and neonatal health. HFEA launched the One at a Time campaign (HFEA, 2018b) to improve the safety of IVF treatment for both mothers and babies by reducing the number of multiple pregnancies (Braude, 2006).