Fertility clinics selling £3,500 IVF ‘add-ons’ including glue that ‘helps embryos stick to womb’

Fertility clinics selling £3,500 IVF ‘add-ons’ including glue that ‘helps embryos stick to womb wall’ must tell couples there is no evidence they work

  • Almost 3/4 of patients desperate to be parents bought at least one add-on 
  • They cost up to £3,500 a time and include ‘glue’ or a painful ‘scratch’ 
  • Fertility regulator has concluded there is ‘no conclusive evidence’ they work

Fertility clinics selling expensive IVF ‘add-on’ treatments have been warned they must tell couples there is no evidence that they work.

Almost three-quarters of patients desperate to be parents bought at least one add-on in the past two years, a patient survey found.

They cost up to £3,500 a time and include ‘glue’ or a painful ‘scratch’ which is claimed to help an embryo stick to the wall of the womb.

But the fertility regulator has concluded there is ‘no conclusive evidence’ that any of them boost the chances of falling pregnant.

Add ons cost up to £3,500 a time and include ‘glue’ or a painful ‘scratch’ which is claimed to help an embryo stick to the wall of the womb

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority found none of the 11 add-ons it evaluated on its website have been proven to work.

Experts have claimed some couples are being hit with bills of close to £8,000 for add-ons – tripling their costs for fertility treatment.

They will pay because they are willing to try anything to improve their chances of having a baby.

HFEA chairman Sally Cheshire said: ‘It’s crucial clinics are transparent about the add-on treatments they offer, including the potential costs, to ensure patients know exactly whether they are likely to increase their chance of having a baby.’

Experts claim some couples are being hit with bills of close to £8,000 for add-ons – tripling costs for fertility treatment. Stock image of control check of the in vitro fertilization process

Experts claim some couples are being hit with bills of close to £8,000 for add-ons – tripling costs for fertility treatment. Stock image of control check of the in vitro fertilization process

The HFEA released a statement, signed by 11 fertility bodies, saying clinics must clearly inform couples that these add-ons are ‘experimental’.

It also says clinics should not offer four of the controversial treatments – where there is no evidence to show they improve birth rates or are even safe – except in research trials.

These procedures include ‘assisted hatching’, in which clinics use acid and lasers to help an embryo ‘hatch’ from a thick layer of proteins. This can risk damaging the embryo before it becomes a baby.

The statement is now part of the HFEA’s code of practice for clinics.

Aileen Feeney, chief executive of the Fertility Network charity, said: ‘Knowing whether or not to include fertility add-ons is a very emotionally charged and financially difficult decision to make.

‘Patients are often very vulnerable after years of trying to become parents – that’s why it is crucial for fertility clinics to behave ethically and not offer false hope or upsell treatment add-ons.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk