The table below shows the Live Birth Rates for patients who received treatment at Gateshead Fertility using their own eggs between 1st January 2022 and 31st December 2022.
Female Age in Years | Under 38 | 38 and over | ||
| LIVE BIRTH RATE | FRESH TREATMENT | Per cycle started | 30.0% (71/237) | 8.2% (8/98) |
| Per embryo transfer | 36.6% (71/194) | 10.8% (8/74) | ||
| Per embryo transferred | 32.9% (71/216) National Average in 2018 was 31% | 7.9% (8/101) National Average in 2018 was 13% | ||
| FROZEN TREATMENT | Per cycle started | 41.0% (50/122) | 27.7% (18/65) | |
| Per embryo transfer | 44.2% (50/113) | 31.0% (18/58) | ||
| Per embryo transferred | 43.9% (50/114) | 26.9% (18/67) | ||
| MULTIPLE BIRTH RATE | FRESH & FROZEN TREATMENTS | 1.7% (2/121) | 3.8% (1/26) | |
A single embryo was transferred in 87% of these cycles.
Please remember that these statistics reflect the average success rates and you should discuss your individual circumstances with the medical team.
More information regarding success rates and choosing a fertility clinic can be found on the HFEA website: https://www.hfea.gov.uk/choose-a-clinic/
In 2021/2022, the HFEA introduced a new method for collecting data and monitoring success rates from clinics. As this is still in the process of being implemented, the most up to date live birth rates on the HFEA website relate to treatments carried out in 2018. Following a validation process, the HFEA plan to publish more up-to-date information on their website regarding success rates in late 2024.
Single Embryo Transfer (SET)
The biggest risk of fertility treatment is multiple births. Although to some couples, twins might appear to be the ideal outcome of IVF treatment, the risk of complications during pregnancy, for both the babies and the mother, is significantly higher than in a singleton pregnancy. Twins are born an average of 3-5 weeks earlier than singletons and with a significantly lower average birth weight, both of which can impact greatly on a child’s short-term and long-term health.
Over the last 15 years, fertility professionals have been working hard to reduce these risks. By transferring a single embryo in carefully selected patients, the national multiple birth rate has reduced from 24% in 2008 to 6% in 2019, whilst overall birth rates have been maintained.
At Gateshead Fertility, our advice will depend very much on your individual circumstances and will be discussed with you in more detail by members of the team. However, our policy is to transfer a single embryo in patients with a higher risk of multiple pregnancy. This risk is influenced by a number of factors including the age and medical history of the egg provider, the number of previous embryo transfers and their outcomes, and embryo quality. As embryo quality cannot be predicted in advance, the decision over how many embryos to transfer is therefore not normally made until the day of embryo transfer itself.
The table below shows the National Data for 2013 Pregnancy Rates and Multiple Pregnancy Rates. Our own Data is consistent with this; by transferring only one embryo in carefully selected patients, the incidence of twins can be drastically reduced whilst maintaining the chance of successful treatment. We will only recommend SET if we think it is the best option for you as a couple. Remember, we want your treatment to be successful too!
| Elective Single Embryo Transfer | Double Embryo Transfer | |||
| Cleavage* | Blastocyst** | Cleavage* | Blastocyst** | |
| Below 35 years | 33.5% | 48.9% | 36.8% | 50.7% |
| 35-37 years | 28.0% | 47.1% | 33.8% | 48.6% |
| 38-39 years | 22.4% | 38.8% | 27.3% | 42.9% |
| 40-42 years | 13.5% | 30.7% | 18.6% | 37.0% |
| 43+ years | 9.4% | 25.0% | ||
| All Ages | 30.3% | 47.1% | 30.9% | 46.0% |
| Multiple Pregnancy Rate (all ages) | 2% | 2% | 24% | 35% |
*refers to day 2 or day 3 of embryo development. **refers to day 5 of embryo development
To read more about Single Embryo Transfer, please visit the HFEA website at:
www.hfea.gov.uk/about-us/our-campaign-to-reduce-multiple-births/