Fertility Testing – BMI and its impact on fertility – a webinar

04 Jul 2019

Thanos presentation for GPs 2

Does high BMI affect IVF success – Bourn Hall’s lead clinician Dr Thanos Papathanasiou discusses the NICE guidelines and impact of weight on fertility in this presentation to health professionals.

45 per cent of Bourn Hall patients now have a BMI of above 25 and a high BMI can affect IVF success.

Being overweight is known to have an impact on male and female fertility, and where obese women have irregular or no periods losing weight can stimulate ovulation.

To maximise the chance of natural conception and a healthy pregnancy, it is recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) that couples have a BMI of 19-30.

Dr Papathansiou explains that if obesity is not associated with a hormone imbalance then many women can be helped to conceive naturally.

For those who do require IVF, recent research at Bourn Hall has shown that success rates can be improved for women with a BMI of 25-30 through selection of the most appropriate protocol.

BMI affect on IVF success 

It has been assumed that weight is a factor in the reduced success of IVF treatment for women with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 25-30. Now new clinical evidence produced by Bourn Hall Clinic suggests that this group of women will have an equivalent chance of success if they are given a specific drug protocol.

A healthy weight is very important not just for improving the chances of conception, being overweight increases the risks during pregnancy and can impact the health and wellbeing of the future child.

In this presentation delivered to health professionals, Bourn Hall’s Regional Lead Clinician Dr Thanos Papathanasiou discusses the NICE guidelines, the impact of weight on fertility and the current recommendations and the clinical evidence gained at Bourn Hall from treating women for over 40 years.

More information

Improving IVF success for women with BMI of 25-30.

Advice for women over 40.

Improving success for women with PCOS.

Calculate your BMI on the NHS website.

Several of our patients have talked about losing weight for their fertility fitness – read Sabrina’s story, and Donna’s story.

Gemma-and-Vic-with-Arthur-web

Find out how can we help you

Book a consultation call with our team to find out how Bourn Hall can help you on your fertility journey

Latest articles

Coping With Christmas 2024

Coping with Christmas: Make your own family traditions

A game plan can help you cope with family get-togethers

Dealing with friends' good news

Coping with Christmas: Dealing with friends’ good news

Your work colleague might also have been trying for years to conceive.

Coping with Christmas: Getting back your emotional strength

Recognising that feelings such as uncertainty, sadness and frustration are natural and infertility is a...

Patient reviews you can trust

Genuine experiences from real patients. See why so many trust us with their fertility care.

image (27)

“We went to an open evening at Bourn Hall Wickford and came away feeling really positive about the place. The staff were really friendly and the presentation was clear about the statistics regarding success rates and live birth rates; their data was very transparent. We came away feeling like we would really be looked after.”

Katy and Leigh are parents to Charlie after IVF

Patient 2023

image (27)

“We chose to make an appointment at Bourn Hall Wickford because of the favourable reviews. When we got there and met the staff they were just so lovely, making us feel welcome and explaining to us what tests would need to be done and what our options were; we just thought ‘yes, let’s get the ball rolling!”

Jess and Fran are mums to Nathan after IVF with donor sperm

Patient 2023