Owing to recent therapeutic advancements in the field of oncology, there has been a significant increase in the number of childhood cancer survivors. As per the estimates of the National Childhood Cancer Foundation (NCCF), one in every 250 adults in the US will be living with a history of childhood cancer by 2010. Though studies have established the detrimental effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on gonadal functions, there lacks consensus on extending the option of fertility preservation to premenarchal girls. A recent cohort study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, supports cryopreservation of the ovarian cortex along with the freezing of aspirated, in vitro maturation (IVM) oocytes in premenarchal girls, before initiating cancer treatment. The researchers also noted that the age of the subjects is not directly linked to the number of oocytes identified, matured, and cryopreserved. Continue Reading

In a national population-based controlled, follow-up study, Danish researchers have reported better neonatal outcomes in singletons born after the transfer of cryopreserved embryos as opposed to fresh cycle embryos. The study results were published in the online issue of the journal, Fertility and Sterility. Continue Reading

With the ongoing debate on the right timing for intrauterine insemination (IUI), the use of double IUI is hypothesized to overcome this problem since it is performed at different time intervals in the same cycle. The strategy thus holds a potential advantage in increasing the chances of in vivo fertilization. However, studies comparing the efficacy of double versus single IUI have reported contradictory findings with respect to the clinical pregnancy rates. A recent meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials reports the lack of statistically significant variation in the clinical pregnancy rates with double and single IUI in couples with unexplained infertility. The findings of the study are published in the online edition of the journal, Fertility and Sterility. Continue Reading

Advances in the treatment of cancer have generated significant interest in investigating the toxicity of chemotherapy on long-term cancer survivors. One such prospective longitudinal study published in the recent issue of Fertility and Sterility reports a high degree of sperm chromatin damage in patients with advanced testicular cancer or Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) after chemotherapy. Highlighting the increased risk for abnormal reproductive outcome in such individuals, the study substantiated the need for counseling cancer patients prior to chemotherapy specifically regarding their elevated reproductive risks and various approaches to preserve their fertility. Continue Reading

Fertilization outcome and early post-fertilization embryo development during ART procedures have been linked to the concentrations of various substances in the follicular fluid (FF), such as hormones, cytokines, and growth factors. A new prospective cohort study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility reports that high FF estradiol levels may be indicative of oocytes with greater likelihood of successful fertilization after ICSI, and the FF steroid hormone profile may reflect the fertilization potential of eggs. Continue Reading

Written by Dr. Stacey Ellender

Literature documenting how patients experience and perceive miscarriage is relatively new, generally dating back only so far as the late 1970s. Research in this area is often limited in scope; many published studies have had less than 50 subjects, and the women interviewed tended to be that subset of women who had the resources and desire to receive both early prenatal care and post-miscarriage counseling services. Additionally, many studies on miscarriage conflate all subjects who lost a pregnancy at less than 24 weeks of gestation into one group. From the literature, it is difficult to delineate the specific effects of early miscarriage when the studies often do not distinguish between the experiences of persons with first trimester and second trimester loss. Furthermore, the large majority of pregnancies that were the subject matter of these studies were conceived without medical intervention, making it difficult for fertility specialists to readily determine which of these studies are relevant to their practice. Continue Reading

Assisted reproductive technology, a multi-billion dollar industry, has contributed to the birth of more than three million babies, globally, in the last 30 years. The recent trends show a wider adoption of ART in both developed and developing countries; however, there exists a substantial disparity among such nations with regard to the availability and accessibility of infertility treatments. Continue Reading

A group of researchers from Newcastle University and NorthEast England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI) has achieved a major breakthrough in medical history by creating sperm cells using embryonic stem cells. These sperm cells, scientifically termed as in vitro-derived (IVD) sperm, could make a valuable in vitro model for elucidating the causes of male infertility and exploring therapeutic innovations. The findings of the research have been published in the recent issue of the journal, Stem Cells and Development. Continue Reading

Miscarriage occurs in 10%-25% of all clinically recognized pregnancies, with around <5% of women reporting 2 consecutive miscarriages and nearly 1% women experiencing ≥3 recurrent episodes of pregnancy loss. The etiology of miscarriage is unexplained in approximately 50%-75% of couples with recurrent pregnancy loss. Now a randomized controlled study, published in the recent issue of Human Reproduction, reports the potential of subcutaneous administration of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) as an effective strategy to improve the pregnancy outcome in patients with idiopathic recurrent miscarriages. Continue Reading