Jumat, 18 Mei 2012

IVF couple baby joy after woman drip-fed egg and soya oil to stop her body destroying her own embryos

IVF couple baby joy after woman drip-fed egg and soya oil to stop her body destroying her own embryos

  • The rich fatty solution was found to boost IVF success rates by six times in a recent study

By Paul Bentley

PUBLISHED: 05:01 EST, 17 May 2012 | UPDATED: 18:41 EST, 17 May 2012


After four exhausting and expensive attempts at IVF failed, Sara and Matthew Conyers feared they were never going to have a family of their own.

But five years after the couple’s fertility nightmare began they are celebrating the birth of twins â€" thanks to the help of a side treatment which involved Mrs Conyers being drip-fed a diet of egg yolks and soya oil.

Doctors believe it could help more women achieve their dream of motherhood, with studies showing the concoction has a remarkable success rate at overcoming an immune system problem in which ‘killer cells’ attack a fertilised embryo.

A delighted Sara and Matthew with their twin boys William and Ben who were born following a fifth round of IVF

A delighted Sara and Matthew with their twin boys William and Ben who were born following a fifth round of IVF

Mrs Conyers, 33, a teacher, and her husband Matthew, 40, a financial adviser, began trying for a child immediately after they  married in August 2007.

After two and a half years with no  pregnancy the couple decided to try private IVF treatment.

However, the first three attempts â€" costing £5,000 each time â€" failed and Mrs Conyers was told cells in her immune system were attacking the fertilised embryos.

She was then offered ‘intralipid infusion therapy’. The blend of soya oil and egg products, high in calories and essential fatty acids, is usually used as a nutritional boost for post-operative patients and premature babies. It is thought the mix has a stabilising effect on cell membranes, which makes it harder for killer cells to attack.

Content: The newborns pictured sleeping at home. Although Mrs Conyers had the treatment during her fourth IVF course, it took a fifth attempt before she became pregnant

Content: The newborns pictured sleeping at home. Although Mrs Conyers had the treatment during her fourth IVF course, it took a fifth attempt before she became pregnant

William and Ben, pictured in hospital, are now six weeks old and at home with their parents

William and Ben, pictured in hospital, are now six weeks old and at home with their parents

Mrs Conyers, of Solihull, West Midlands, said: ‘We didn’t have a holiday for five years but it was all worth it when I found out I was pregnant in October last year. We were more than a little ecstatic.’

Although Mrs Conyers had the treatment during her fourth IVF course, it took a fifth attempt before she became pregnant.

On April 4 she gave birth at Worcestershire Royal Hospital to boys William and Ben, who were two months premature.

William was the first to be born, weighing 3lb 2oz, followed two minutes later by Ben who tipped the scales at 3lb 10oz.

Precious cargo: William and Ben were born four weeks premature

Precious cargo: William and Ben were born four weeks premature

Mrs Conyers said: ‘The first time the IVF didn’t work we  were devastated. However, I’d produced 18 eggs and they were  frozen so they could be used for the next two rounds I had. But still nothing happened.

‘On the fourth IVF attempt I was given the soya oil and egg yolk. I thought it was a bit odd but by that time I was willing to try anything.

‘It was just like a normal drip in your hand but a nurse came to the house and did it.

‘I would recommend anyone who is struggling with IVF to  try it â€" it has made our dreams come true.’

The couple spent a total of £25,000 on IVF courses.

Intralipid infusion t herapy is also occasionally used to help women conceive naturally, without any need for IVF.

A spokesman for CARE Fertility, which treated Mrs Conyers, said it offered the therapy to women if they think their only problem in getting pregnant is an over-active immune system.

‘Sometimes it is given if the couple is trying to conceive naturally,’ she said. ‘They may be having continual miscarriages but nothing seems to be wrong with them.’

The treatment is always administered by a qualified nurse under a doctor’s instructions.


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Interesting. It shows how inadequate our normal diets are though and that if people are in optimum health, with an optimum diet, then their body will work perfectly. No room for junk food!

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What's wrong with eggs cooked in butter?!

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Yumstheword, you are totally right, unless you have walked down the infertilty road you have no idea what it is like. After years of continual miscarriages and the heart breaking terrible trauma of a Still-Birth I was given this treatment at CARE in Nottingham. I was one of the ladies they treated who could conceive naturally but who's immune system was continually trying to attack the placenta. My Son was born healthy at term thanks to this fantasitc treatment, I now feel so lucky to have my happy ever after.

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Well done Sara and Matt! Can't wait to see the boys in August! You are inspiration to others going through IVF and you deserve your heathy boys after everything you have been through....

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Well done Sara and Matt, can't wait to see the boys in August! We all know what you have been though and you deserve everything you have. You are an inspiration for all those people going through IVF.....

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Congratulations lovely story

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@- Christine, Coventry, UK, 17/5/2012 15:10 well said

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I've just had a successful round of IVF (3rd attempt) and now 16 weeks pregnant. The first 2 rounds of straight forward IVF failed, and then we read into immune therapy - I was tested and showed to have an aggressive immune system where my own body could potentially be rejecting embryos - I was put on a similar treatment which is a type of blood transfusion called IVIG - and Bingo it worked!! Very few clinics (None on the NHS) recognise the Immune systems effect on getting and staying pregnant, but it is a seriously important part of getting and staying pregnant - We were forced to go private because the view of the NHS is that the immune system does not impact on pregnancy. The NHS and other private clinics needs to catch up with these amazing private clinics who offer this treatment alongside IVF so that it is more widely available and people are saved the heartache of continued failed IVF cycles and recurrent miscarriage!!!

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Congratulations, enjoy your babies.

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I've just had a successful round of IVF (3rd attempt) and now 16 weeks pregnant. The first 2 rounds of straight forward IVF failed, and then we read into immune therapy - I was tested and showed to have an aggressive immune system where my own body could potentially be rejecting embryos - I was put on a similar treatment which is a type of blood transfusion called IVIG - and Bingo it worked!! Very few clinics (None on the NHS) recognise the Immune systems effect on getting and staying pregnant, but it is a seriously important part of getting and staying pregnant - We were forced to go private because the view of the NHS is that the immune system does not impact on pregnancy. The NHS and other private clinics needs to catch up with these amazing private clinics who offer this treatment alongside IVF so that it is more widely available and people are saved the heartache of continued failed IVF cycles and recurrent miscarriage!!!

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