Intrauterine insemination (IUI) is routinely adopted by many couples, despite the advances in IVF and emergence of other infertility therapies, due to minimal drug use during treatment, low cost, and occurrence of fertilization in the fallopian tube similar to natural conception. A new multicenter randomized clinical trial published in the British Medical Journal recommends 15 minutes of immobilization after the standard IUI procedure as it can improve the ongoing pregnancy and live birth rates. Continue Reading

Oocyte cryopreservation holds significant potential as an option for preserving female fertility, especially in patients undergoing aggressive radiation or chemotherapy. Following an intensive review, the British Fertility Society (BFS) and the Association of Clinical Embryologists (ACE) have issued new clinical guidelines on egg freezing technologies for UK clinics. Continue Reading

Considerable amount of evidence has implicated prostaglandins (PG) to play a vital role in implantation and decidualization. A recent case-control study has linked defective endometrial prostaglandin (PG) synthesis in IVF patients with repeated embryo implantation failure, suggesting that the reduced synthesis of PG could result in poor endometrial receptivity. The findings of the study are published in the recent issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility. Continue Reading

Multiple factors have been attributed to affect the outcome of IVF pregnancies achieved through oocyte donation; some of them include embryo quality, endometrial receptivity, reproductive status of the recipient, and the ages of the donor and recipient. Despite contradictory evidences on the effect of the recipient’s age, the age of the donor has been identified as a significant factor influencing the outcomes of assisted reproduction. Results of a multivariate analysis published in the journal Fertility and Sterility has further substantiated the crucial association between the donor’s age and the number of mature oocytes/embryos obtained. The study results also proposed the significance of other factors, such as estradiol level on the day of hCG administration and amount of gonadotropin used in the stimulation protocol, for predicting IVF outcome. Continue Reading

Written by Professor Semra Kahraman

Higher rate of multiple pregnancies is still a major problem in IVF conceptions. Therefore, a primary goal of current assisted reproductive technology is to improve embryo implantation and pregnancy rates while avoiding the risk of higher order pregnancies. The solution is definitely based on the ability to identify the best and most viable embryos using a highly efficient selection procedure. New, non-invasive analytic spectrophotometric tests, including Raman and near-infrared (NIR) techniques, have been introduced to choose viable embryos, as an alternative to the current approach of subjective microscopy-based morphological assessment. Continue Reading

Ovarian reserve (OR) is the repertoire of residual oocyte-granulosa cells that are available at any given age for procreation. Though a decline in OR is considered natural with an advancement in maternal age, the number of women delaying childbearing has increased over the past few decades, owing to lifestyle changes. According to the 2009 report of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the average age of women in the US opting for first-time motherhood increased by 3.6 years, from 21.4 in 1970 to 25 years in 2006. Similarly, the average age for first birth is nearing 30 years in other developed nations. Some premenopausal women experience an acceleration in the OR decline process due to which ovarian stimulation leads to suboptimal responses during infertility treatment. Further, these women may be at a higher risk of trisomic pregnancy and transgression into menopause at an earlier age. Continue Reading

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS), an iatrogenic complication of ovulation induction, occurs in up to 10% of women opting for assisted reproduction, with a severe form of the syndrome in around 0.1-2.0% of the patients. The introduction of gonadotropin releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) in 1987 to ovarian stimulation protocols resulted in an increase in the incidence of OHSS, mostly because of the aggressive ovarian stimulation made possible without the risk of premature ovulation. Continue Reading

Hypertensive disorders, such as pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and pre-eclampsia (PE), are usually associated with several negative maternal and perinatal outcomes. Some researchers have suggested that low-dose aspirin could affect placentation and prevent or defer the development of these disorders. A recent prospective, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial has provided further evidence that the incidence of hypertensive complications are substantially lower with the administration of low-dose aspirin during IVF procedure and the first trimester of pregnancy. The findings of the study have been published in the recent issue of the journal, Human Reproduction. Continue Reading

A recent study reports that altered homeobox A10 (HOXA10) gene expression in the mid-secretory endometrium could play a role in infertility associated with endometriosis and uterine fibroids, as well as unexplained infertility. The findings, published in the recent issue of the journal Human Reproduction, suggest that the gene could be a potential target for new generation infertility treatments. Continue Reading