Alan Doran, HFEA Interim Chief Executive, said:
"We are delighted to see the UK's fertility professionals take the next step in their campaign to tackle the single biggest risk of fertility treatment - the problem of multiple pregnancy and birth.
"These guidelines follow the professional's recognition of the 'overwhelming' case for action in this area and spell out to patients and clinic staff the appropriate treatment for particular groups of patients.

"This should be of great reassurance to patients by showing that nobody is suggesting a 'one size fits all' approach for fertility treatment."

·    The BFS and ACE are the main professional groups leading the One at a Time campaign, the national strategy to reduce the number of multiple pregnancies - the single biggest health risk of fertility treatment. See www.oneatatime.org.uk for further details.

·    The national strategy is supported by: Association of Clinical
Embryologists, British Fertility Society, British Infertility Counselling
Association, Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, Infertility Network UK, Multiple Births Foundation, Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

·    The HFEA is the independent regulator for IVF treatment and embryo research. Our role is to protect patients and the public interest, to drive improvement in the treatment and research sectors and to provide information to the public and policymakers about treatment and research.

·    The HFEA was set up in August 1991 as part of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990.  The HFEA's principal tasks are to license and monitor clinics that carry out in vitro fertilisation (IVF), artificial insemination (AI) and human embryo research. The HFEA also regulates the storage of gametes (eggs and sperm) and embryos.

·    The HFEA publishes a free Guide to Infertility for people considering or starting fertility treatment. It can be downloaded from www.hfea.gov.uk. Contact [email protected] or call 020 7291 8200 for a printed copy. 

For further information please contact the HFEA press office:
Paula Woodward, Press Officer, Tel: 020 7291 8226
John Paul Maytum, Head of Communications, Tel: 020 7291 8225
Email: [email protected]
Out of hours urgent press contact Tel: 07771 981 920
Web: www.hfea.gov.uk