IVF discovery AneVivo allows fertilisation in womb

Would-be parents are being offered a new form of IVF which allows fertilisation to take place inside the womb instead of in a laboratory.

It is hoped the new technique, being used for the first time in the UK in Southampton, Hampshire, will not only be a psychological boost to parents but also have health benefits by potentially improving the birth weight of IVF babies.

The technique, which uses a device called AneVivo, involves placing egg and sperm cells within a tiny capsule which is placed painlessly into the womb for 24 hours, during which time embryos begin to develop.