Embryo freezing licence is granted

WOMEN who are undergoing chemotherapy or who want children but have not met a partner before the ageing process takes hold have been given a new option in fertility treatment through freezing their embryos.

The Irish Medicines Board (IMB) has confirmed it has granted a licence to the National Maternity Hospital’s not-for-profit Merrion fertility clinic to provide a new embryo freezing technique — the first of its kind in the country.

While freezing embryos developed via in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment has become relatively common place in recent years, the survival rate post-thawing has generally not exceeded 75%.