Women soon able to choose when to have children

Women in Britain may soon be able to choose just when they want to have a baby.

A breakthrough in freezing technology now means that all women could soon choose exactly when they have children.

New developments in the techniques used to freeze eggs has eliminated the risk of damaging the egg after thawing.

The techniques, developed in Japan, are said to be as significant as the contraceptive pill, as until now, routine freezing was only offered to women who were undergoing cancer treatment which carries the risk of infertility.

The technique, 'vitrification', involves removing water from the eggs and freezing them in liquid nitrogen.

In England two fertility clinics the Care Fertility and the Bridge Fertility Centre, are now planning to offer the service on a commercial basis to women who want to delay motherhood; this is usually done because the women are without a suitable partner or because they are pursuing a career.

Professor Gedis Grudzinskas, medical director of the Bridge Fertility Centre, says the contraceptive pill gave women more choice about when they started their families and egg freezing now gives women the chance to delay having children until the time is right for them.

Fertility experts however are critical of the move and are concerned women may think they can preserve motherhood; they say more research is needed.