IVF may pass on genetic reasons for infertility

According to Professor Jens Peter Ellekilde Bonde, a professor of occupational medicine at Aarhus University in Denmark, and Professor Jørn Olsen, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California, countries using IVF such as Britain is facing an infertility timebomb because the increasing use of IVF means that couples with inherited fertility problems are able to have children and pass the condition on to the next generation.

Around one per cent of all births in Britain are the result of IVF or donor insemination, which means that around 11,000 babies are born annually after fertility treatment, says UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown, who specialises in pre-conceptual care, fertility and pregnancy. Each cycle of IVF costs between £4,000 and £8,000 and success rates are almost 30 per cent for women under the age of 35.

However, there are many other non-genetic reasons why you may not be able to conceive – such as anovulation (irregular or lack of ovulation) or poor sperm quality, says UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown. Furthermore, there any many nutritional steps you can take to improve your chances of conception and much research to prove it. Just one example is a study at the University of Surrey consisting of several hundred would-be parents with a history of fertility problems. They were put on tailor-made holistic pre-conceptual care programmes focussing principally on diet, vitamin and mineral supplementation and avoidance of environmental toxins. A stunning 81% of those who took part went on to produce healthy babies. This make the holistic approach 2 ½ times more effective than IVF!

To find out more, contact UrBod Nutritionist Melody Mackeown Dip.ION (mBANT), specialist in pre-conceptual care, fertility and pregnancy care in the city of London, EC2.