Baby Oliver is symbol of hope for thousands of IVF couples

Published on Tuesday 1 September 2009 22:07

A BABY boy has become the first in the world to be born using a revolutionary IVF technique which could double the rate of successful pregnancies.

Oliver's birth follows 13 failed IVF attempts by his 41-year-old mother. More women are now pregnant after undergoing the egg-screening procedure.

In future, it is thought more fertility clinics could be licensed to carry out the technique.

The Care Fertility Group in Nottingham used a process called array CGH (Comparative Genomic Hybridisation) to pick the egg which produced Oliver, who was born in July. The method involves selecting those eggs which are chromosomally normal and have the best chance of producing a pregnancy.

The screening costs about 2,000 on top of the 2,500 normally charged for an IVF cycle. But for couples with repeated failed attempts at IVF, the technique could save money.

Care Fertility Group managing director Professor Simon Fishel said: "Chromosomal abnormality plays a major part in the failure to establish a pregnancy. Full chromosome analysis may double the chance of success in couples who have a poor chance of conceiving, and maximise the chance of pregnancy in all couples."

Up to half of eggs in younger women and up to 75 per cent in those over 39 are chromosomally abnormal. These abnormalities can cause embryos to fail, even though they look healthy down a microscope.

Human cells have 46 chromosomes, with 23 chromosomes inherited from each parent. Before an egg is fertilised, it ejects half of its set to leave space for the 23 chromosomes coming from the sperm.

These "waste" chromosomes are a mirror image of those left behind in the egg. Array CGH involves checking the number of waste chromosomes – too few or too many shows there is a problem with the egg.

As well as improving success rates from IVF, the technique could reduce the incidence of miscarriages and birth defects.

In the latest case, eight eggs were tested and only two found to be normal.

One of these produced Oliver, whose parents wish to remain anonymous.

Prof Fishel said: "All the team at Care have been waiting for this very special baby to be born.

"Improving the success of fertility treatment is a personal quest of mine and Oliver's safe arrival shows that some couples who have repeatedly failed to become pregnant can double their chances using this technology."

Array CGH is only available at Care Fertility, but it could be offered more widely in the future.

British Fertility Society chairman Tony Rutherford congratulated the team on their research, but said further work was needed before the widespread use of the technology.

"The technology certainly offers much promise," he said.

Professor Peter Braude, head of the department of women's health at King's College London, said: "I am delighted this patient has achieved her positive outcome.

"However, we need to be cautious as to whether the new technique was responsible."