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

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

The signs and symptoms of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is attributed to elevated vascular permeability, resulting in fluid shift from capillaries to the third space. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is linked to this increase in vascular permeability, and hence its suppression may potentially prevent or reduce the severity of OHSS. Dopamine agonists, which block VEGF receptor 2 phosphorylation, have been suggested to decrease the incidence and severity of OHSS in IVF/ICSI cycles. A new systematic review and meta-analysis highlights the prophylactic action of dopamine agonists, such as cabergoline, in lowering the incidence of OHSS. The study findings have been published in the journal, Human Reproduction Update. Continue Reading

A recent randomized controlled study highlights the increase in implantation and live birth rates with mid-follicular recombinant human luteinizing hormone (r-HLH) supplementation in women aged 35 to 39 years who were subjected to ovarian stimulation for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. The findings have been published in the recent issue of the journal, Reproductive BioMedicine Online. Continue Reading

In order to reduce complications associated with the conventional IVF procedure, modified natural cycle IVF (mnc-IVF) and mild IVF (m-IVF) cycles have been adopted. However, there is speculation that the pregnancy and live birth rates may be lower with both these approaches compared to conventional cycles, probably due to the lower use of medicines and shorter treatment duration. Now, a 10-year Swedish study published in the journal, Reproductive BioMedicine Online highlights that mnc-IVF and m-IVF have comparable pregnancy rates to conventional cycles. Continue Reading

A group of Danish researchers have reported that drugs commonly administered to treat infertility, such as gonadotropins, clomiphene citrate and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), may increase the long term risk of uterine cancer; with greater risk associated with higher doses and longer use. The findings of the study have been published in the recent issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology. Continue Reading