The guidelines were issued by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and include a recommendation to implant no more than two embryos in women seeking infertility treatment, in a bid to cut the high rate of multiple births.

The guidelines call for:

• equal access to treatment across the UK
• advice for women over 40 years who are trying IVF to ensure they understand the reduced rate of success and increased risk of miscarriage
• recognition that a national agreement to transfer a maximum of only two embryos, rather than the three at present, would have the biggest impact on the currently high rate of multiple births
• recognition of the effectiveness of egg donation
• emphasis on the importance of ICSI (a form of IVF that requires hardly any male sperm to be used) in treating male infertility.

Infertility affects one in seven couples in the UK and the Royal College hopes that the new guidelines would increase the number of births and, by using counselling, improve the well-being of couples, whether their treatment succeeds or not.

Professor Robert Shaw, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said: "I hope it will be possible to develop a National Service Framework so that equitable services can be provided on a nationwide basis."

The guidelines were launched shortly before the beginning of a Royal College meeting, backed by the British Fertility Society and ISSUE – the National Fertility Association.

babyworld dad Tim Cowen, father of ICSI twins said: "I think these plans are a bad idea.

"This will decrease infertile couples' chances of success with assisted conception – and the chances are low enough anyway. The number of triplets born through assisted conception methods is very small, and infertile couples who do have multiple births are delighted at having an 'instant family', since for financial or health reasons their number of attempts may be very limited.

"The RCOG could more usefully spend its time examining ways of increasing the chances of success in assisted conception, rather than drawing up unhelpful guidelines like this. Fertility clinics all have enough professional staff in them who can take decisions to reduce the number of embryos transferred if there are medical reasons for doing so."

Are you expecting twins? babyworld gives you the lowdown on what to expect. Click here.

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