Global action may be needed to prevent “fertility tourism” leading to an epidemic of costly multiple births, British experts have warned.
Growing numbers of people are shopping overseas for fertility treatment – and may go to centres that do not meet British standards.
A study of multiple births at a London specialist centre found that about a fifth were linked to mothers having fertility treatment overseas.
British fertility clinics are required to limit the number of embryos implanted in a women in order to prevent multiple births, such as triplets or quadruplets.
However implanting several embryos increases the chances of a pregnancy – as well as the chances of a multiple birth.
A conference of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists held in Montreal, Canada, heard that not all overseas centres follow the same standards.
The analysis was done at University College London Hospital, UK, where researches studied the history of some 109 women with multiple births.
Some 15 had conceived naturally but the remainder had undergone fertility treatment. And 25 per cent of these had gone overseas for treatment.
Researcher Dr Alastair McKelvey said: “Triplet, quadruplet and higher order multiple pregnancies are very challenging high-risk pregnancies. We were concerned, through personal experience, about the extent of this problem and its link to unregulated fertility care on the world market.
“National regulatory bodies can be sidestepped by couples desperate for a baby and the myriad of tempting offers of fertility treatments can lead them to serious adverse consequences.
“This research suggests that international agreement on this aspect of women’s health – preferably by professionals – is needed.”
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