Couples desperate for a baby are being sold pricey and possibly unsafe IVF add-ons with no warning they may not work, a study has found.
An investigation into 87 fertility clinics in the UK found two thirds offered a technique called time-lapse imaging , which costs up to £795. This is despite a fertility regulator warning there is insufficient evidence it improves the chances of having a baby.
Another procedure called assisted hatching was used by more than a quarter of clinics, costing up to £600. It is claimed the technique, using lasers or acid, helps an embryo to hatch out of a protective layer of proteins so it can implant itself in the lining of the uterus.