New baby hope for would-be mothers

Women who put their eggs on ice in the hope of having children in the future have finally been given the go-ahead to use them in fertility treatment.

Freezing eggs has been allowed in New Zealand since 2005 but, unlike with sperm and embryos, it has been illegal to thaw them to make a baby until now.

The changes will allow women who are to undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancer, who might otherwise been unable to have children because of the treatment, to conceive.

It will also benefit women who were desperate to become mothers but put their eggs on ice because they were not yet ready to have children or had not met a partner, allowing them to conceive at some point in future.

The Health Ministry said last night that it had approved a recommendation by the Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology to allow the use of frozen eggs in fertility treatment.

Fertility Associates' clinical director Richard Fisher said there were about 30 patients with eggs on ice at his 12 clinics throughout the country, and other providers were likely to have 10 to 15 each.

"Many were women who were about to have chemotherapy or radiotherapy and were facing the likelihood of infertility, so this really was their only chance to have their own biological children."

The technology, pioneered about nine years ago, is used in the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia, and has so far resulted in about 1000 "frozen egg" babies worldwide.

However, New Zealand authorities opted to wait until the safety and success of the treatment could be assured.

It has been possible to apply for special permission for the treatment from the national ethics committee, but doctors say procedural barriers put most women off trying.

Dr Fisher said the wait had been hard for some. At least one couple had already gone to Australia for IVF treatment using eggs collected and frozen in Auckland.

He had some patients who would be ready to start treatment immediately and he expected calls from others as soon as the news got out.

Fertility Associates in Auckland received about one inquiry a week about egg freezing.

"As oncologists become aware of it, I suppose we'll see more referrals," he said.

"It has been difficult for patients but I think we were wise in retrospect to wait a few years till we were satisfied with the safety [of the treatment]."

IVF including hormone treatment and harvesting the eggs costs about $9000 and women pay about $200 a year to store eggs.

Cancer patients and others having treatment that cause infertility are entitled to free fertility treatment.

Former Fertility New Zealand director Sian Harcourt, who spent 11 years having fertility treatment before the birth of daughter Willow 10 months ago, said the breakthrough was "fantastic news", especially for women who had already frozen eggs.

"Certainly it's been a frustrating wait for some people, but it's great it will be available now."

MAKING BABIES

HOW DOES IT WORK?

As with other in-vitro fertilisation procedures, hormone injections are used to stimulate the ovaries to produce eggs, which are collected and frozen to -196C.

When the woman wishes to use the eggs, they are thawed, injected with sperm, and the resulting embryos are placed in the uterus.

- © Fairfax NZ News