Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, with regard to oocytes frozen for a patient's own use, in how many cases in each year since 2013 was more than one embryo transferred simultaneously to the uterus; and how many multiple pregnancies resulted.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Includes only cycles where exclusively more than one embryo created from a frozen egg was transferred | |
Year of treatment | Treatment cycles | Multiple pregnancies |
2013 | 50 | 3 |
2014 | 63 | 1 |
2015 | 85 | 7 |
2016 | 64 | 4 |
Note: Data has been provided for the latest verified data period: up to 30 June 2016 for pregnancies.
Source: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in respect of oocytes frozen for a patient's own use, how many pregnancies, births, and miscarriages have resulted in each year since 2013, after the fertilisation of such oocytes in cases when those oocytes were collected and cryopreserved after the patient had reached the age of 35.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The information requested is shown in the following table:
| Includes only cycles where exclusively embryos created from frozen eggs were transferred | ||
Year of treatment | Pregnancies | Miscarriages | Live birth events |
2013 | 5 | 2 | 3 |
2014 | 8 | 0 | 71 |
2015 | 9 | 0 | 32 |
2016 | 103 | n/a | n/a |
Notes:
1The outcome of one reported pregnancy in 2014 has yet to be notified to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) by the clinic that carried out the treatment cycle.
2Data for births has been provided for the latest verified data period: up to 30 June 2015.
3Data for pregnancies has been provided for the latest verified data period: up to 30 June 2016
Source: HFEA
Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government how many of the oocytes frozen for a patient's own use in the UK since 2013 were frozen and thawed for the purpose of treatment by in vitro fertilisation; of those that were thawed, how many were successfully fertilised and appeared to develop normally; of those, how many were transferred to a uterus; and how many resulted in a live birth, a pregnancy, or a miscarriage.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
The information requested is shown in the following tables:
| Of all treatment cycles in that year | ||||
Year of treatment | Eggs stored for the patient’s own use | Eggs thawed | Eggs fertilised | Embryos developed | Embryos transferred |
2013 | 5,944 | 895 | 337 | 317 | 143 |
2014 | 7,124 | 1,119 | 488 | 475 | 176 |
2015 | 10,259 | 1,623 | 737 | 706 | 223 |
2016 | 6,199 | 1,204 | 590 | 584 | 179 |
| Of cycles where exclusively embryos created from frozen eggs were transferred | ||
Year of treatment | Pregnancies | Miscarriages | Births |
2013 | 20 | 6 | 15 |
2014 | 20 | 3 | 15 |
2015 | 31 | 0 | 111 |
2016 | 222 | n/a | n/a |
Note:
Data has been provided for the latest verified data period:
1Up to 30 June 2015 for births; and
2Up to 30 June 2016 for pregnancies.
Source: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, in each year since 2008, what has been the incidence of (1) foetal abnormalities, and (2) autism or other neurological disorder, in birth or pregnancies resulting from the use of frozen oocytes after thawing and fertilisation.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
Information on the incidence of foetal abnormalities is shown in the following table:
| Includes only cycles where exclusively embryos created from frozen eggs were transferred |
Year of treatment | Foetal abnormalities |
2008 | 0 |
2009 | 1 (observed) |
2010 | 0 |
2011 | 1 (uncertain) |
2012 | 0 |
2013 | 0 |
2014 | 0 |
2015 | 0 |
Note: Data has been provided for the latest verified data period: to 30 June 2015 for births.
Source: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that since October 2007 it has only collected data where a congenital abnormality was reported as either observed or uncertain following a birth event. The HFEA has also advised that it does not collect information on the incidence of autism or other neurological disorders in births or pregnancies resulting from the use of frozen oocytes after thawing and fertilisation.
Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government in each year from 2008 to 2015 what is the incidence of foetal abnormalities in births which have resulted from treatments using (1) oocytes frozen for a patients' own use in the UK, and (2) frozen oocytes used for the purpose of donation to another woman.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has provided data in the following table. The HFEA advises that it can only provide data for outcomes up to 30/06/2014.
Year of Treatment | Outcomes where abnormalities, or possible abnormalities, were seen | |
Patients using their own Eggs | Patients using donor eggs | |
2008 | 0 | 0 |
2009 | Less than 5 | 0 |
2010 | 0 | 0 |
2011 | 0 | Less than 5 |
2012 | 0 | 0 |
2013 | 0 | 0 |
2014 (mid year for births) | 0 | 0 |
Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government with regard to (1) oocytes frozen for a patients' own use in the UK, and (2) frozen oocytes used for the purpose of donation to another woman, in how many cases for each year from 2008 to 2015 more than one embryo was transferred simultaneously to the uterus and how many multiple pregnancies or multiple births have resulted.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has provided data in the following table.
Patients using their own eggs:
Year of treatment | Multiple Embryo Transfer events | Incidences of Multiple births or pregnancies from multiple embryo transfer events |
2008 | 10 | 0 |
2009 | 23 | 0 |
2010 | 34 | Less than 5 |
2011 | 25 | Less than 5 |
2012 | 44 | Less than 5 |
2013 | 46 | Less than 5 |
2014 (Mid year for births) | 58 | 0 |
2015 (Mid year for births) | 38 | * |
Patients using donor eggs:
Year of treatment | Multiple Embryo Transfer Events | Incidences of Multiple births or pregnancies from multiple embryo transfer events |
2008 | 0 | 0 |
2009 | Less than 5 | 0 |
2010 | 21 | Less than 5 |
2011 | 46 | 5 |
2012 | 44 | Less than 5 |
2013 | 46 | Less than 5 |
2014 (Mid year for births) | 64 | 7 |
2015 (Mid year for treatments) | 74 | * |
* Part year data not available.
Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government with regard to (1) oocytes frozen for a patient's own use in the UK, and (2) frozen oocytes used for the purpose of donation to another woman, for each year from 2008 to 2015 (a) how many oocytes were frozen and how many have been thawed for the purposes of treatment by in vitro fertilisation; (b) of those which were thawed, how many were successfully fertilised and appeared to develop normally; and (c) of those, how many were transferred to a uterus, and how many of those transfers resulted in (I) a pregnancy, (ii) miscarriage, or (iii) live birth.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has provided data which can be found in the attached document. Table 1 shows the numbers of oocytes that have been frozen. Table 2 shows where a patient’s own oocytes have been thawed for their own use. Table 3 shows where the patient has used thawed donated oocytes and the outcomes.
Table 1 is below. Tables 2 and 3 can be found in the attached document.
Table 1 - the numbers of oocytes that have been frozen.
Year of Treatment | Number of eggs frozen for patient’s own use | Number of eggs frozen for donation |
2008 | 2367 | 117 |
2009 | 2697 | 156 |
2010 | 2856 | 80 |
2011 | 3846 | 244 |
2012 | 4583 | 456 |
2013 | 5945 | 1090 |
2014 | 7190 | 2497 |
2015 (Mid year for treatments) | 4431 | 2265 |
Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government in respect of (1) oocytes frozen for a patient's own use in the UK, and (2) frozen oocytes for the purpose of donation to another woman, how many patients had a live birth after they reached the age of 35.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has provided data in the following table. These treatments took place prior to 30 June 2014, which is the last date for which the HFEA holds verified data.
Patients, aged 35 & over, using their own eggs in a treatment that leads to a live birth | 29 |
Patients, aged 35 & over, using donated eggs in a treatment that leads to a live birth | 72 |
Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to ensure the follow-up of children born after fertilisation of frozen oocytes, in particular to understand any epigenetic or other deleterious effects that might be associated with egg freezing.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that, as part of its Information for Quality program, it will in future collect information on the methods of freezing, vitrification or slow-freeze. The HFEA will also work closely with researchers to enable longer term research.
Asked by: Lord Winston (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many human eggs frozen by vitrification have been (1) thawed, and (2) fertilised, in the last six years; how many of those have (a) developed into embryos, and (b) been transferred to a recipient uterus; and of those transferred, how many have developed into pregnancies, and how many (i) live births, and (ii) early pregnancy losses or stillbirth, have resulted.
Answered by Lord Prior of Brampton
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it does not hold information on the method of freezing, vitrification or slow-cooling, during this period. The HFEA collects data on the other information requested on treatments and outcomes but cannot break this down by method of freezing. The relevant information held by the HFEA, as indicated on the treatment form completed at the time, is set out in the attached tables.