A recent retrospective analysis, the findings of which were published in the journal, Human Reproduction, reports that performing additional rounds of hybridization during fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) improves the accuracy of the technique in preimplantation genetic aneuploidy screening (PGS), thereby increasing the number of competent embryos available for transfer. Continue Reading

Several studies have established the effect of obesity (BMI >30 kg/m²) on female fertility as well as on ART treatment outcomes; however, the mechanism underlying the association is still obscure. Now, a recent study published in the journal Reproduction, sheds more light on the impact of obesity on the major reproductive mechanisms and infertility treatment. Continue Reading

Follicular rupture may usually occur between 22 to 47 hours following hCG administration in patients undergoing IUI. Due to this wide interval, the underlying principle for double IUI is the creation of a longer fertilization period. A recent single-centered randomized trial reiterated that there is no statistically significant difference in the rates of live births between single and double IUI in ovarian hyperstimulation cycles with multi-follicular development. Claimed to be the first randomized trial comparing single versus double IUI, the study findings have been published in the journal, Human Reproduction. Continue Reading

Potential screening tools for early ovarian ageing include small antral follicle counts, anti-Müllerian hormone levels, abnormal autoimmune function, and number of CGG repeats on the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. A recent preliminary prospective randomized controlled trial reiterates that 30 to 40 CGG trinucleotide repeats on FMR1 may serve as a predictor of premature ovarian ageing and premature ovarian failure (POF) in infertile women. However, no significant association was observed between the concentrations of anti-thyroid and anti-adrenal autoantibodies and FSH levels/CGG repeat numbers. The findings of the recent study have been published in the journal, Reproductive BioMedicine Online. Continue Reading

Crinone® vaginal gel, a natural progesterone supplementation approved by the U.S. FDA for women undergoing assisted reproduction, has better tolerability and comparable effectiveness to intramuscular progesterone (IMP) for luteal phase support during in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles, according to the findings of a prospective randomized trial published in the online issue of the journal, Fertility and Sterility. Continue Reading

A team of researchers from the Newcastle University have developed a pioneering ‘three-person IVF’ technique, in which the fertilization procedure uses the nuclear DNA of the biological parents, and the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from an oocyte donor. The technique, which facilitates exchange of DNA between two oocytes, could serve in preventing the transmission of mitochondrial diseases to offspring. The findings of the groundbreaking study have been published in the online edition of the journal, Nature. Continue Reading

A new study published in Reproductive BioMedicine Online reports improvement in pain symptoms, fertility outcomes, and overall patient satisfaction rates following surgical resection of bowel endometriosis in women with infertility. Continue Reading

Previous studies have correlated parental infertility or its treatment with childhood cancer. However, very few have investigated its impact on individual cancer subtypes. A recent case-controlled study published in the journal Human Reproduction reports that no significant relationship exists between parental infertility/infertility treatment and infant leukemia. Continue Reading

A large prospective follow-up study has concluded that the long-term safety of ganirelix, a GnRH antagonist, with respect to neonatal outcomes and major malformation risk, is comparable to that of traditional GnRH agonists used in controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) cycles. The study findings have been published in the journal, Human Reproduction. Continue Reading

Mutations in the Deleted in Azoospermia-like (DAZL) gene, an autosomal homolog of the DAZ gene located on chromosome 3p24, have been linked to spermatogenic abnormalities. Now, a prospective study published in the journal, Reproductive BioMedicine Online, provides further credence to the probable involvement of DAZL in the regulation of sperm counts, motility, and possibly also morphology. Continue Reading