All women will soon be able to choose when to have children

Published on Monday 3 September 2007 00:04

NEW developments in egg-freezing techniques, hailed as revolutionary as the contraceptive pill, mean all women could choose when they have children.

Until now, routine freezing was only offered to women who were undergoing cancer treatment which could make them infertile.

But a breakthrough in freezing technology, where the risk in damaging the egg after thawing has been almost eliminated, paves the way to offer the treatment to all women.

Two fertility clinics in England are now planning to offer it to women who want to delay motherhood, usually because they are without a partner or because they are pursuing a career.

Professor Gedis Grudzinskas, medical director of the Bridge Fertility Centre, said: "The contraceptive pill gave women more choice about when they started their families. Egg freezing now gives women the chance to delay having children until the time that is right for them."