A wellness company has withdrawn a £250 “fertility drip” from sale and apologised after experts accused it of exploiting vulnerable women.
Doctors told the Guardian the vitamin and minerals treatment, marketed with an image of a baby in the womb, was unlikely to provide any fertility benefit to fertility.
Get A Drip apologised for the “insensitivity” of the product but defended its nutritional benefits. The company, which describes itself as “the newest health sensation to hit the wellness scene”, said it made no claims of alleviating any medical condition.
Doctors and charities had accused Get A Drip of playing on the fears and anxieties of women who may be struggling to conceive.
Katherine O’Brien of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) welcomed the decision to withdraw the product, saying there was no evidence it worked and that it was pitched at an exploitative price.
She said: “We understand regulatory bodies are looking into these kinds of products and hope these companies and their offers can be properly monitored going forward.”
Vitamin clinics providing intravenous drips to treat hangovers and jet lag burst on to British high streets after being popularised by celebrities such as Rihanna, Madonna and Cara Delevingne. Get A Drip describes its target market as “people who rate experience over possession, time over money and for whom wellness is the new luxury”.
Alongside IV drips claiming to boost the immune system and energy levels, Get A Drip sells an “anti-ageing drip” for £200, a mood-boosting drip for £300 and a “skin brightening drip” that can cost up to £3,000.
Richard Chambers, the founder of Get A Drip, said in a statement: “We have made the decision to remove the fertility drip effective immediately from our Get A Drip offering. While we stand by the ingredients’ benefits, we understand that the issue of fertility is much deeper than nutrition. As a company, we offer health supplements that act to aid and improve overall wellness.
“We are deeply sorry for the insensitivity of the fertility drip and apologise wholeheartedly for any upset caused.”
Tom Dolphin, a London-based consultant anaesthetist, who highlighted the product on Twitter, also welcomed the decision, saying: “It’s good that they’ve stopped offering this treatment for people worried about their fertility.”
But he added: “However, they are still offering all these other intravenous treatments with suggestive names like ‘slim drip’ or ‘hair enhancement drip’ with no good evidence base.
“The fact remains that for most people, if you feel dehydrated you should just drink some water. And vitamins are available in tablets, fruits and vegetables – take your pick.”
