The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has published a report on medically assisted procreation (MAP) in the United Kingdom, in which it welcomes the decrease in the number of multiple pregnancies. This is the first report of its kind in the 27 years that in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) has been available in this country. The British Fertility Society also welcomes the findings and sees no grounds for “concern” in this current situation.
However, at the end of the press release, the HFEA notes that the number of “adverse events” associated with IVF is increasing. In 2016, 76,500 cycles were initiated in 119 licensed fertility clinics, i.e. a 6% increase compared to 2015, whereas the number of adverse events rose by 8.5%, with the majority of incidents being less serious (grade C).
The most serious event in 2016—the first grade A incident—concerned the birth of a baby presenting with cystic fibrosis. The parents were not deemed to be carriers of the disease as the doctor neither confirmed nor entered the results in their medical records. According to the report, the embryo unfortunately was not subjected to pre-implantation screening.
For further reading:
Prior to a review of bioethics legislation—bewilderment surrounding genetic screening
Bioedge, Michael Cook (16/12/2017); Daily Mail, Alexandra Thompson (14/12/2017)