On this page:

• How many babies have been born following IVF and ICSI treatment?
• How many women have given birth following IVF and ICSI treatment?
• How does a woman’s age affect her chances of having a baby after IVF or ICSI treatment?
• What is the birth rate following IVF or ICSI treatment?
• Do birth rates vary between IVF and ICSI treatment?

---

How many babies have been born following IVF and ICSI treatment?

A total of 122,043 babies were born (live births) following IVF and ICSI treatment that was started between 1992 and 2006.

The number of babies born following IVF and ICSI treatment has increased steadily and has more than quadrupled between 1992 and 2006:

• Treatment started in 1992 – 3,113 babies born
• Treatment started in 2006 – 12,589 babies born

The number of babies born following IVF and ICSI treatment cycles started in 1992 to 2006

Note: The figures given for ICSI treatment include those for SUZI cycles. What is SUZI? 
Figures for live births refer to babies who were still alive at one month of age. They include singleton births and multiple births.

 

The number of babies born has increased because:

• more treatment cycles are being carried out, and
• treatment has improved over time so a greater percentage of treatment cycles have resulted in babies being born.

Babies born following IVF or ICSI account for just over 1.5% of all babies born in the UK each year.

It is estimated that more than 2 million babies have been born following IVF or ICSI worldwide.

Note: Not all the babies conceived following treatment in the UK were born in the UK. Some couples come to the UK for treatment from overseas but return home to have their baby. However, because the treatment was carried out in the UK, these births are included in the information presented here.

Back to top

How many women have given birth following IVF and ICSI treatment?

A total of 2,379 women had at least one live birth (some were multiple births) following an IVF or ICSI treatment cycle that started in 1992.

The number of women giving birth after IVF or ICSI treatment has increased steadily over time reaching a total of 10,250 in 2006.

Between 1992 and 2006 the number of women giving birth after IVF or ICSI treatment has more than quadrupled.

 

Total number of women giving birth following IVF and ICSI treatment, treatment cycles started in 1992 to 2006

Note: The figures given for ICSI treatment include those for SUZI cycles. What is SUZI?
Figures for live births refer to babies who were still alive at one month of age. They include singleton births and multiple births.

 

The increase in the number of women giving birth after IVF or ICSI treatment is because:

• more women are having IVF and ICSI treatment, and
• treatment has improved over time so a greater percentage of the women treated have conceived and had a baby.

Back to top

How does a woman’s age affect her chances of having a baby after IVF or ICSI treatment?

The age at which a woman has IVF or ICSI treatment is one of the most important indicators of whether or not she will conceive and go on to have a baby.

As shown in the following graph, the birth rate after IVF and ICSI treatment has improved between 1992 and 2006 by about 70% for women of all ages up to about 43.

For women from the age of 43 onwards there has only been a slight increase in the birth rate over time.

 

The percentage of women treated who gave birth after IVF or ICSI treatment by age, treatment cycles started in 1992 to 2006

Note: The figures given for ICSI treatment include those for SUZI cycles. What is SUZI?
Figures for live births refer to babies who were still alive at one month of age. They include singleton births and multiple births.

Back to top

What is the birth rate following IVF or ICSI treatment?

The outcome of IVF and ICSI treatment can be described in several ways, including:

• the number of births per treatment cycles performed, and
• the percentage of women who have a baby following treatment.

In 1992 for every 100 women starting treatment only 17 of them gave birth (17%).

The birth rate has increased over time so that by 2006, 29 women in every 100 treated gave birth (29%).

 

The percentage of women treated who gave birth, IVF or ICSI treatment cycles started in 1992 to 2006

Note: The figures given for ICSI treatment include those for SUZI cycles. What is SUZI?
Figures for live births refer to babies who were still alive at one month of age. They include singleton births and multiple births.

Back to top

Do birth rates vary between IVF and ICSI treatment?

The combined birth rate of IVF and ICSI has improved over time.

Immediately following the introduction of ICSI treatment, the birth rates were low. By 1994 the birth rates of ICSI were the same as for IVF.

From 1995 onwards the birth rates of ICSI were higher than those following IVF by an average of 2% to 3%.

In 2006, 27 women in every 100 treated with IVF gave birth (27%).
In comparison, 30 in every 100 women treated with ICSI gave birth (30%).

 

The percentage of women treated who gave birth by type of treatment, treatment cycles started in 1992 to 2006

Note: The figures given for ICSI treatment include those for SUZI cycles. What is SUZI?
Figures for live births refer to babies who were still alive at one month of age. They include singleton births and multiple births.

 

• The difference in outcomes between ICSI and IVF most likely relates to cause of the underlying fertility problem rather than a difference in the effectiveness of the treatment.
• ICSI is a more invasive treatment than IVF and should only be carried out when there is a clear medical reason to do so. It may not be a suitable first line treatment for unexplained infertility.

Back to top