80 IVF foetuses are aborted a year

[OldLadyKnowsNothing]

80 IVF foetuses are aborted a year

I can understand terminating for severe disability or genetic problems, or even because too many foetuses implanted. But how can a woman go through IVF and then change her mind? Anyone any insight?

Circumstances change, life is tricky.

And some of those 80 are 'selective reduction': the mum has ended up pregnant with four babies, which makes it likely none of them would live, so some are aborted.

i think that the notion of an IVF baby being even more deserving of being born a little off kilter. parents of IVF babies are still parents, still fallible, still allowed to change their minds about a pregnancy for the same reasons that other women choose to terminate

that 80 figure does include selective reduction

I'm not sure what you mean. Of course IVF is more grueling that natural conception process, but I think there must be some women trying to conceive and then, when relationship breaks down or a job is lost etc etc they terminate.
Do you have a problem with termination per se or just that of an IVF embryo/foetus?

It's not that I think an IVF baby is any more "deserving" than one conceived naturally, but it seems strange to me that someone would go through the whole process and then say, oh, shit, didn't mean to do that.

But yes, of course, circumstances change.

I'd say most of them are reductions to improve the chances of having a viable pregnancy which results in at least one live birth.

So call me callous, but I'm reading this headline and thinking, so?

X post with winnybella - I don't have a problem with termination at all, it must be the choice of the mother.

I bet most are selective reduction, to try and ensure a healthy, full term baby.

I woudl think then, taht the decision to terminate would be one that was even harder to make

That has no information in it at all, it's just a headline to get the anti-abortionists foaming at the mouth.

IVF always involves the implantation of multiple babies, so the majority of those 80 could be that, you could find only 1 or 2 a year are due to social reasons.

I'd ignore that until they have percentages for each reason why.

You should have seen the comments on the DM version of the story; they're the reason I linked to the BBC.

Sorry, I'm not wanting to stir up anyone here, I just though it particularly sad.

The same reasons as any other termination I guess.

One partner changes his or her mind about wanting a baby.
Man walks away leaving woman homeless/without financial resources.
Plus IVF is a stressful process, some relationships don't survive it and others result in multiple pregnancies that the parents feel they can't cope with.

It's just desperately sad.

Having had IVF myself and many miscarriages, the stress, pain and heartache that IVF causes (never mind the cost)I doubt whether any woman would take such a decision lightly and its ridculous to suggest otherwise.
The article is vague and not much information is available as to why couples do abort. I would think reduction and genetic abnormality would be the main reasons. The very idea of aborting babies after IVF because couples want designer babies is laughable.
I was successful with my first attempt at IVF and I count my blessings every day that all went well.
I think the article is headline grabbing and nothing else.

alphabill

Selective reductin of multiple pregnancies
Severe disability
Change in the parent's health or circumstances

80 seems pretty low to me.

Someone demanded that information via the FoI requirements, looking for the story.

I don't know what the termination for abnormality rate is in general, but I'm guessing that 80 out of all the successful IVF cycles is going to come pretty close to that percentage

80 is not very many, there are hundreds of thousands per year in the UK as a whole.

I don't think IVF excludes people from making decisions about termination if they feel they are unable to continue with a pregnancy.

I have had IVF and I am having all the testing for things like Downs Syndrome. Even though it would be a hard decision to make I would and have considered the option of termination.

I think people who have IVF don't need to be guilt tripped into not having a termination just because of the way the baby was conceived.

cos having a disabled baby is sooooooo terrible
(hides thread)

2shoes, bit off to make a comment like that and then post hide thread.

Having a disabled baby is what it is to that person based on their experiences and beliefs. Having a disabled baby might not be as difficult for one mother/set of parents but could be the end of the world to another.

Let's not forget that having a disabled baby is an umbrella term for having a baby with any range of problems from relatively minor conditions to those that are incompatible with life or which require prolonged invasive medical treatment over a lengthy period of time.

Also, digressing somewhat, I don't think it is particularly helpful for people to think that all babies with Downs Syndrome have the same issues. Some parents are told that their baby with Downs Syndrome also has serious heart and gastric abnormalities such that their condition is deemed incompatible with life.

Nothing is black and white and this report is sensationalist.

bit off!!!

not hiding the thread

So you didn't hide the thread after all...

Yes, sometimes having a disabled baby is terrible.

FFS what a total non-story - this figure includes selective reduction and termination for abnormality and is still very low.
I really don't get why some bucketheads are so determined to prove that there are billions of selfish evil feckless women out there terminating their pregnancies because the baby wouldn't match the new curtains or whatever.