IVF

Blood clots on the rise in IVF pregnancies

Blood clots in pregnancies from IVF have been found to be on the rise. What is the overall risk, and what should you look out for -- even if you have an old-fashioned pregnancy?

Acupuncture may not ease labor pain

Many women look for pain-relief alternatives for their labor and birth experience, but acupuncture may not be the best pain-relief...

Fertility treatments after Octomom: Lessons learned and tips on infertility

Nadya Suleman -- aka “Octomom” -- was only 33 years old when she gave birth to octuplets last year. Her doctor, Michael Kamrava, implanted six embryos, far more than the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) recommends for women of any age. Suleman’s pregnancy with Octuplets -- in addition to already having 6 children via in vitro fertilization (IVF), started a national conversation about how many babies is to many. Last October, Kamrava was expelled from the organization.

IVF embryos like to be rocked

Obstetrics and Gynecology scientists at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor recently learned that embryos growing during in vitro fertilization...

Secondary infertility: Why can’t I get pregnant again?

If you're dealing with secondary infertility, you are not alone in your struggle with trying to get pregnant again. When my daughter was two and a half, the barrage of questions as to when we were going to have another kid came fast and furiously. Initially I did not mind, however after nine months of trying to conceive the old-fashioned way—and even incorporating some romantic accessories to take the drudgery out of our mandatory “lovemaking sessions” -no amount of hot wax or fur-lined handcuffs were able to procure us a viable fetus. We went the route of meeting with a reproductive specialist, who flat out told me that I’d be unable to conceive without intervention.

Moms want tighter regulation on in-vitro fertilization

A new joint fertility report conducted by e.p.t. and BabyCenter reveals that most mamas want tighter regulations in-vitro fertilization (IVF)....

Blood test may predict success of IVF

Each year thousands of women undergo in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments for a chance to become pregnant. Unfortunately there's currently only...

Choosing the best eggs for IVF

There are some new findings out that could proove to be very useful for women trying to have a successful...

Acupuncture may improve rates of pregnancy following IVF

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), is reporting that acupuncture may improve rates of pregnancy for women...

Dietary supplement boosts IVF hopes

"AT THIS point I'll try anything I can to have a child," says Emma*, a 38-year-old teacher from London. Emma faces a similar problem to many women: her ovaries produce too few ripe eggs for doctors to extract and use for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). She is also one of a number of women undergoing IVF who is self-medicating with a supplement called dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in an attempt to beat the biological clock.

Time-lapse recordings reveal why IVF embryos are more likely to develop into twins

Evidence gathered from time-lapse recordings of the formation of early embryos (blastocysts) in the laboratory has revealed why embryos created via IVF and undergoing extended culture are more likely to develop into twins than those created via natural conception. Furthermore, the research has shown that the culture in which the IVF embryos are formed is possibly responsible for the embryos dividing into twins.

Folate/IVF linked to increased rate of twins

With the UK government considering whether to fortify flour with folic acid, results of a study in a May 2006 issue of The Lancet highlight how such fortification may increase the rate of twin births after in-vitro fertilization (IVF) where more than one embryo is transferred.

Stress and success of IVF

New research from Sweden has shown that psychological stress does not appear to influence the outcome of IVF ? good news for women who fear that the understandable anxiety that they suffer during fertility treatment might damage their chances of conceiving.

Little evidence that IVF is the best infertility treatment

In vitro fertilization can improve pregnancy rates among couples with unexplained infertility, but there is little evidence to show whether IVF results in more live births than other treatments, according to a new review of recent studies.

The risks of multiple pregnancy associated with IVF

In-Vitro fertilization (IVF) is an exciting therapy that offers many infertile couples the opportunity to achieve pregnancy that would not otherwise exist. It's important for couples to remember that as they consider IV

Boy or girl? Women having infertility treatments want to choose

A significant number of women being treated for infertility would choose the sex of their next child if given the option -- and those as yet childless would choose baby girls and boys in approximately equal numbers.

Multiple pregnancies and advanced fertility treatments

Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) include a variety of treatment options such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) which have literally helped thousands of previously infertile couples to conceive. Of late, many news stories have focused on multiple births. As miraculous as this may appear for couples trying so hard to conceive, higher order multiple pregnancies of three or more, and twin pregnancies to a lesser extent, are associated with an increased risk of premature birth, low birth weight and infants which can suffer long term disabilities.

New procedure can prevent genetic disease before pregnancy

A new procedure called Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) can now screen embryos for aneuploidy (a condition indicating chromosomal defects) before they are transferred into the uterus during an IVF procedure. PGD can be used for couples experiencing fertility problems, as well as for couples of normal fertility that have been identified at high-risk for passing on a genetic disease. PGD offers a new opportunity to prevent genetic disease from being passed from carrier parents to their children.

Twins born from 12-year-old frozen embryos

The successful birth of healthy twins at Jerusalem's Hadassah University Medical Center from 12-year-old frozen embryos has given scientists and doctors a better insight into the efficacy of cryopreservation and the viability of the embryos once they are transferred to a woman's womb.

The future of fertility treatments: It's not just for getting pregnant anymore

Jennifer Lester was a happily married and healthy 29-year old woman living in Aurora, Illinois with her husband Brian. Jennifer and Brian felt that it was time to start a family, yet they were rightfully hesitant, as J