After enduring months of stress and discomfort to conceive a child with IVF, about 80 UK women abort their IVF babies every year, according to UK abortion statistics obtained under freedom of information legislation. Fertility specialists were  taken aback by the news. Prof Bill Ledger, a member of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the UK’s fertility watchdog, said: "I had no idea there were so many post-IVF abortions and each one is a tragedy."

There was no indication of the reasons for the abortions, although they do include so-called selective reduction, or the abortion of one or more foetuses in a multiple pregnancy to allow the survivor or survivors to thrive. Since about half of the women were between 18 and 34, who are less likely to have complications in their pregnancies or to have children with genetic abnormalities, critics suggested that the abortions were done for social reasons. Another possibility is that some women reluctantly undertook IVF because of pressure from a partner and aborted the child after their relationship fell apart.

Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative MP, said that these statistics meant that some women were treating babies like “designer goods”. However, Laura Riley, a spokesperson for the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, said: "Women and couples who have had donor insemination or IVF to become pregnant are unfortunately no more immune from the harsh vagaries of life than others who are lucky enough to be able to conceive naturally. Any woman can experience overwhelming life difficulties, such as intense relationship pressures or the diagnosis of a serious or lethal fetal medical problem. These may mean that she feels unable to continue with the pregnancy." ~ BBC, June 7; London Telegraph, June 7