More babies than ever are the result of IVF treatment, according
to the latest report on assisted conception released today by the
AIHW's National Perinatal Statistics Unit (NPSU) and the Fertility
Society of Australia.
In 2000, 4,801 babies were born in Australia after IVF,
accounting for 1.9% of all births. In 1992 there were 2,237 births
as the result of IVF treatment, accounting for 0.9% of all
births.
Assisted Conception Australia and New Zealand 2000 and
2001 also shows that viable pregnancy rates have doubled from
what they were a decade ago, with the chance of pregnancy with each
IVF treatment cycle being almost 21% in 2001.
The average age of all women who gave birth after assisted
conception treatment was 33.6 years--more than four and a half
years older than the average age of Australian mothers in 2000.
NPSU Clinical Advisor in Women's Health, Professor Michael
Chapman, said that the proportion of women over 40 years of age
having treatment had increased.
'However their pregnancy rates are significantly less than those
achieved by younger women.'
'So, even though our report shows that assisted reproductive
technology continues to improve, women still need to consider the
trade-off between risks and benefits when delaying
childbearing.'
'It's also worth noting that caesarean rates for assisted
conception pregnancies were around double the rate for all
Australian mothers in 2000.'
Professor Chapman said the improvements in pregnancy rates from
IVF treatment were mainly due to advances in laboratory techniques
and management of treatment cycles.
'This has been achieved while transferring fewer embryos in each
treatment cycle, which has reduced the incidence of triplets and
quadruplets. Twin pregnancy rates, however, remain high for IVF
births.'
Since IVF commenced in Australia and New Zealand in the early
1980s, both countries have been recognised as having one of the
most comprehensive IVF data collection in the world. All IVF units
provide information on all treatment cycles to the NPSU, a
collaborating unit of the Australian Institute of Health and
Welfare, located at the University of New South Wales.
13 June 2003
Further information: Professor Michael Chapman,
School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South
Wales, tel. 02 9350 2315 or tel. 0412 900 120 (mobile)
For media copies of the report: Publications
Officer, AIHW, tel. 02 6244 1032
Availability: Check the AIHW
Publications Catalogue for details.