A couple who had tried to have a baby for five years were delighted to finally become parents - thanks to an unusual diet.
Hannah Cope, had almost give up hope of becoming a mother after undergoing five unsuccessful rounds of IVF, each of which costs £5,000.
But the 34-year-old became pregnant and gave birth to a healthy baby boy after being drip fed a mixture of egg yolk extract and soya bean oil.
Delight: Hannah and Simon Cope with baby Noah who was born after Hannah had intralipid infusion therapy
Mrs Cope, an auditor for United Utilities, said: 'I didn't believe it when I found out I was pregnant.
'We did this last treatment to make peace and to know we had tried everything before facing a life without children. It took a while for it to sink in and we were in fear that it would all be taken away from us. But then we had the heartbeat scan and we had to believe it.'
Mrs Cope, from Littleborough, near Rochdale, gave birth to her son Noah Parker at the Royal Oldham Hospital, five weeks early weighing 5lbs 2oz.
Her husband Simon, a 40-year-old contract administrator, said: 'It has been a hard slog for us but Noah is happy and healthy and he is 18 weeks old now.
'We took a decision in September 2011 to start this treatment at the beginning of 2012 and it worked.'
Hannah with baby Noah: She was given a drip-feed egg solution, which may have stabilised her immune system
Hannah had a condition that meant her body was attacking the embryos, causing her to miscarry. The egg solution helps to stabilise the immune system by making it harder for the body to attack a fertilised embryo.
Hannah found out about the treatment through the CARE Fertility Group in Manchester after carrying out research on fertility websites. And after paying for blood tests to be carried out in America, she was advised to try the £400-a-time procedure, which isn't available on the NHS.
Known as ‘intralipid infusion therapy’, the blend of soya oil and egg products is high in calories and essential fatty acids and is thought to have a stabilising effect on cell membranes, which makes it harder for killer cells to attack.
It is usually used as a nutritional boost for post-operative patients and premature babies, but studies have shown the concoction has a remarkable success rate at overcoming Mrs Cope's condition.
In 2011, Dr George Ndukwe, of the Care fertility clinic in Nottingham trialled the therapy on a group of 50 women who had failed to become pregnant despite enduring an average of six IVF attempts each.
Half of those treated became pregnant, compared with just 9 per cent of those not given the fatty substance. The findings were presented at a British Fertility Society conference.
However, a review from King's College London, said larger-scale controlled studies would be needed to confirm the findings before it could be recommended for routine use.
A spokesman for CARE Fertility, has said it offers the therapy to women if they think their only problem in getting pregnant is an over-active immune system.
The treatment is always administered by a qualified nurse under a doctor’s instructions.
FATTY DRIP THAT MAY STABILISE A PREGNANT WOMAN'S IMMUNE SYSTEM
Intralipid infusion therapy has been around for decades as a way to correct an essential fatty acid and calorie deficiency among those who are unable to eat normally.
The solution contains 20 per cent soyabean oil, 1.2 per cent egg yolk phospholipids, 2.25 per cent glycerin and water.
Given via an intravenous infusion it bypasses the stomach and goes directly into the bloodstream to supply the body with several essential fatty acids. These are substances that can't be made by the body but are required for many biological functions, including reproduction.
Recently, doctors began to wonder whether it could be used to boost women who had immune systems that attacked their own embryos.
In 2011 a mother from Derbyshire became one of the first women to be treated with the infusion alongside IVF. Suzanne Harper, from Ilkeston, conceived baby Libby after having the experimental treatment.
She was one of the 50 women treated in a trial run by Dr George Ndukwe, of the Care fertility clinic in Nottingham. The women had all failed to become pregnant after an average of six IVF attempts - yet half conceived after having the infusion.
It is thought the food solution has a stabilising effect on cell membranes, which makes it harder for killer cells to attack.
However, a review from King's College London, said larger-scale controlled studies would be needed to confirm the findings before it could be recommended for routine use.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2265781/Intralipid-infusion-therapy-Couple-longed-son-following-failed-cycles-IVF--thanks-drip-containing-EGG-YOLK.html#ixzz2IdXBrThf
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