Senin, 14 Mei 2012

Toxic drugs used in IVF 'risk health of mothers and babies

Toxic drugs used in IVF 'risk health of mothers and babies

By Mario Ledwith

PUBLISHED: 19:50 EST, 13 May 2012 | UPDATED: 01:43 EST, 14 May 2012


IVF procedures widely used in the UK are posing a ‘serious health risk’, healthcare experts have warned.

Clinics are using ‘aggressive’ practices that improve success rates but have led to treatments becoming one of the biggest causes of maternal deaths in England and Wales, they said.

There is increasing evidence that the most common treatment, which involves high doses of  toxic drugs to stimulate increased egg production in the ovaries, causes abnormalities in embryos and can damage a mother’s health.

Warning: The use of high doses of toxic drugs to stimulate increased egg production could be a major cause of maternal deaths in England and Wales

Warning: The use of high doses of toxic drugs to stimulate increased egg production could be a major cause of maternal deaths in England and Wales

Experts were told at a conference in Copenhagen that an alternative ‘mild’ treatment should be used instead of the more risky options common in the commercially driven UK market.

Professor Geeta Nargund, head of reproductive medicine at St George’s Hospital in London, said that high-dose stimulation led to side-effects, including ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome (OHSS), a potentially fatal illness.

She said: ‘A recent confidential inquiry into maternal deaths in the UK showed that OHSS was now one of the biggest causes of maternal mortality in England and Wales.

‘There is no doubt that women subjected to this kind of stimulation are at serious health risk.’

Between 1991 and 2007 30,000 cases of OHSS were recorded in the UK. The syndrome can also cause kidney failure and shortness of breath.

Embryos being prepared for freezing: The preservation enables couples to have several cycles of IVF with eggs collected during one round of treatment

Dangers: Ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome - connected to IVF treatment - can be a potentially fatal illness

Professor Nargund said that the UK was trailing behind countries such as France, Holland and Belgium which used less toxic drugs to stimulate the ovaries.

This ‘mild’ technique leads to a lower pregnancy rate per cycle but has a quicker recovery time.

She said: ‘If we continue with expensive, aggressive, old-fashioned IVF it will exclude too many from treatment. We could double the number of patients treated at no extra cost and the complications would be less.’

Professor Ian Cooke, chief exe cutive of the Low Cost IVF Foundation and former president of the British Fertility Society, said: ‘We are over-stimulating women, driving the cost up and the complications up.

'The first aim should be to reduce complications.’

 

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

  • Newest
  • Oldest
  • Best rated
  • Worst rated

I would personally like to thank the DM for putting me under more stress and trauma for consistently sensationalising IVF/ ICSI downfalls . As I am now 15 weeks pregnant using the above ICSI method and according to the DM can look forward to a child with birth deformities , I would respectfully ask that some sensitivity is shown to us people who are going through the process . We are very aware of the small risks that come with it all . Back off DM and leave us to try and enjoy our somewhat difficult pregnancies

Report abuse

The risks of ohss, have always been there. This is not "new" news. I had to be scanned every other day to check for ohss, and was given a very thorough list of symptoms to look out for. I'm sure not all clinics do the same, but really DM, why the bashing of ivf? Yes SOME nhs trusts pay for treatment, but good luck finding one. Mostly we have to pay out of our own pocket, which we are completely happy to do. Please stop attacking such a sensitive, heartbreaking subject with sensationalist headlines.

Report abuse

I would like to think that IVF doctors will heed this advice. But as usual profits will probably be more important than the health of women and the stress and guilt want to be parents go through just to be able to afford treatment.

Report abuse

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Diposting oleh di

Tidak ada komentar:

Posting Komentar

Langganan: Posting Komentar (Atom)