ONE-QUARTER of women are delaying or deciding against having a baby as a result of the recession.

New research shows that 15% of women had decided not to have children as a result of the economic downturn, while one in 10 said that they had postponed trying to conceive.

The average amount women are prepared to pay for IVF treatment has also fallen by £3000 due to financial constraints.

While 12% of women who needed help to conceive said the recession had prevented them from having treatment.

However, Professor Richard Fleming, of the Glasgow Centre for Reproductive Medicine (GCRM), yesterday warned against delaying IVF treatment and trying to conceive.

He said: “The human female is built to conceive between the ages of 20 and 30 -- not 35 and 45.

“If women decide to delay trying for a baby, that means their ability to have children will go down.

“If they delay their child-bearing until their late 30s, the chances of having a child when they decide to are very much reduced.

“The chances of having an abnormal child are also increased, although this increase is relatively small.”

Mr Fleming added: “IVF treatment is not cheap and if people are already cutting back on other things, it’s a lot to commit to effectively at least £4000 and sometimes a lot more.

“It’s a big step to take when you have a mortgage and other bills and to find that amount of money is very difficult for some people.

“However, any delays can have a profound influence on the success of the treatment. For example, if a 40-year-old woman were to delay treatment for six months there would be a measurable reduction in the success of the treatment.”

The survey of more than 2500 women aged 30 to 45, which was carried out on behalf of Red magazine, revealed that most couples seeking IVF treatment (94%) are willing to cut back on holidays, eating out, pensions, savings, health insurance and clothes to pay for it.

Most women paid for treatment using savings, but 17% said they had received a gift from family members and 13% used a credit card to pay.

Mr Fleming revealed some clinics do offer payment schemes but GCRM removed its scheme as very few patients used it.

He said: “We did offer a payment scheme when we first started the clinic but there was very little uptake and I think that’s because of the upset in continuing to pay for the treatment if it has been unsuccessful.

“A lot of people borrow from family members and I wouldn’t be surprised if people were using credit cards as people tend to do that in life generally.”

Despite this, 62% of women asked said they did not think that IVF should be available on the NHS for anyone who wants it -- an increase of 45% on 2007.

However, 74% believe the government should ensure that women who do need it are provided with three free cycles of treatment, with the vast majority adding that it was unfair that access to treatment differed depending on where they lived.

Almost one-quarter of women questioned had difficulty conceiving, with just 45% of those who underwent IVF treatment successfully having a baby.

Sam Baker, editor-in-chief of Red magazine, said: “This report provides an incredible in-depth view on the effect the recession has had on women’s baby plans.

“The comparable figures show that the events of the last year have hit women and their families hard, with many having to postpone or reconsider trying for a baby.