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IVF may significantly increase risk of birth defects, new research says

In vitro fertilization may significantly increase the risk of birth defects, particularly those of the eye, heart, reproductive organs and urinary systems, according to new research presented Saturday, Oct. 20, at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans.

20 Oct 2012

Male BMI effects embryo quality, IVF outcome

Male body mass index influences pregnancy outcome in couples undergoing in vitro fertilization through its effect on embryo quality rather than on sperm parameters, report researchers.

24 Sep 2012

PTEN inhibitor can trigger growth of small eggs

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have discovered that a chemical can trigger the maturation of small eggs to healthy, mature eggs, a process that could give more women the chance of successful IVF treatment in the future. The results have been published in the revered journal PloS ONE.

24 Sep 2012

Adding missing protein to infertile human sperm can 'kick-start' its ability to fertilise eggs

Adding a missing protein to infertile human sperm can 'kick-start' its ability to fertilise an egg and dramatically increase the chances of a successful pregnancy, a team of Cardiff University scientists have uncovered.

21 Sep 2012

Sagard Capital acquires IntegraMed

Sagard Capital Partners, L.P. and IntegraMed America, Inc., a leader in developing, marketing and managing specialty healthcare facilities in the fertility and vein care markets, today announced the completion of Sagard Capital's acquisition of IntegraMed for $14.05 per share in cash, representing a total equity purchase price of approximately $169.5 million.

21 Sep 2012

EmbryoScope Time-lapse system identifies abnormal development events in embryos

Which embryos have the best opportunity to develop into a viable pregnancy? A new technology provides a surprising answer. A major challenge in the field of IVF is selecting the single best embryo which is likely to result in a live birth. Currently, embryologists must remove the embryo from a standard incubator to perform 2 or 3 short evaluations of the developing embryo under the microscope, at fixed time-points over 3-5 days, in order to assess embryo quality prior to transferring an embryo to the patient.

18 Sep 2012

Key facts about polycystic ovary syndrome

September marks Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) awareness month and with this condition affecting millions of women in the world, there are some key facts about the condition to highlight that can affect a women's fertility when suffering with the disorder.

6 Sep 2012

Converting blood cells to a stem cell state: an interview with Elias Zambidis, M.D., Ph.D.

The primitive stem cell state we created is called an “induced pluripotent stem cell” (iPSC). iPSC are a new, unique, and artificially-created type of stem cell that were first described in 2006 by a Japanese scientist named Shinya Yamanaka.

4 Sep 2012

A father's obesity negatively impacts sperm

Australian scientists studying the impact obesity has on pregnancy, are urging men to get 'match fit' before conceiving to assist with fetal development.

23 Aug 2012

Calls for more widespread safety information on PGD

The informed consent process for prospective parents considering prenatal genetic diagnosis may be inadequate due to a lack of disclosure by fertility clinics about the risks involved in the procedure, says a US researcher.

20 Aug 2012

Many patients may benefit from day 5 embryo biopsy

Over the last several years Carolina Conceptions has been offering embryo biopsy to rule out chromosomal abnormalities and genetic diseases in future pregnancies. One of the downsides of the technique was that biopsies were performed after 3 days of embryo culture, which was later discovered to limit the ability of the embryo to undergo normal development. This actually reduced the chance of pregnancy, often erasing any advantage that was provided by the biopsy procedure.

21 Jul 2012

Vitrolife's EmbryoGlue medium increases implantation and pregnancy rates

In a study presented at the on-going ESHRE conference in Istanbul, Vitrolife's patent protected medium EmbryoGlue has once again been proven to increase both implantation and pregnancy rates, regardless of hormone stimulation of the endometrium or not.

4 Jul 2012

SET policy reduces risk of perinatal mortality in IVF and ICSI infants

A policy of single embryo transfer (SET) reduces the risk of perinatal mortality in infants born as a result of IVF and ICSI. The conclusion emerged from an analysis of more than 50,000 births recorded in the Australian and New Zealand Assisted Reproduction Technology Database between 2004 and 2008, where the introduction of an SET policy has been associated with a reduction in overall perinatal mortality for IVF and ICSI babies.

4 Jul 2012

Perinatal mortality risk in IVF reduced by single embryo transfer

4 Jul 2012

High coffee consumption appears to reduce clinical pregnancy rate by 50%

Women who drink five or more cups of coffee a day severely reduce their chance of success from IVF treatment. Indeed, Danish investigators who followed up almost 4000 IVF and ICSI patients described the adverse impact as "comparable to the detrimental effect of smoking".

4 Jul 2012

Cigarette smoke reduces production of Fallopian tube gene - BAD

Cigarette smoke reduces the production of a Fallopian tube gene known as "BAD", which helps explain the link between smoking and ectopic pregnancy. The finding, from scientists led by Drs Andrew Horne and Colin Duncan at the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Reproductive Health in Edinburgh, UK, was described today at the annual meting of ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology) in Istanbul.

4 Jul 2012

PGD for breast cancer genes BRCA1/2 is now feasible

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for the breast cancer genes BRCA1/2 is now feasible and established, with good success rates for those treated, according to investigators from the reproduction, oncology and genetics centres of the university hospitals of Maastricht and Brussels.

3 Jul 2012

Women with higher intake of dietary saturated fats have fewer mature oocytes available for IVF

Women with a higher intake of dietary saturated fats have fewer mature oocytes available for collection in IVF, according to results of a study from the Harvard School of Public Health funded by the US National Institutes of Health.

3 Jul 2012

Number of babies born due to assisted reproduction technologies reaches 5 million

The number of babies born as a result of assisted reproduction technologies (ART) has reached an estimated total of 5 million since the world's first, Louise Brown, was born in July 1978. The figures will be presented this week at the 28th annual meeting of ESHRE (European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology), which begins today, 1st July, in Istanbul, Turkey.

2 Jul 2012

BFC develops new Fertility App

Well in short the answer is yes if you are trying to conceive! And in this day and age where the smart phone is consulted over every aspect of day to day life, why shouldn't you rely on app to manage your love life as well! The Fertility App has been developed by Barbados Fertility Centre (BFC), a JCI accredited centre of excellence for IVF treatment located in the Caribbean and is the first app of its kind produced by a health care provider.

28 Jun 2012