Scientific News

Position statements

ESHRE has released a number of position statements this year. Most recently they have issued one on the treatment and diagnosis of endometriosis and another on surrogacy

FSH levels as a tool for patient counseling

FSH levels as a tool for patient counseling A group of Austrian researchers are proposing that basal FSH levels are predictive of ovarian reserve and therefore may be predictive of the number of oocytes that may be retrieved.

In vitro oocyte maturation success

In vitro oocyte maturation success Swedish doctors report of a case of successful in vitro oocyte maturation after repeated failed cycles of IVF treatment.

Effect of overweight and smoking on fertility

Effect of overweight and smoking on fertility In a study of 8457 women on their first IVF cycle, smoking was associated with a lower delivery rate and higher miscarriage rate.

iCSi welcomes positive findings from ESHRE annual congress (19 - 22 June 2005) but raises concern about presentation of science

The iCSi Patient Leader network welcomes the positive presentations of advances in Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) from the 2005 Annual meeting.

Before you have that next cup of tea...

Danish researchers have been examining the effects or coffee and alcohol before pregnancy and their implications for the occurrence of spontaneous abortion.

Pregnancy outcome and PCOS

Researchers in the Czech Republic have investigated pregnancy outcome of PCO sufferers.

Hormonal contraception and future fertility - any risks?

Researchers in the UK followed up with 2841 consecutive pregnant women and asked them to complete a questionnaire on time to pregnancy

Incidence of spontaneous abortion and assisted reproductive technologies

An Australian study has examined the risk of spontaneous abortion in pregnancies which have resulted from assisted reproductive technologies and compared this with the spontaneous abortions of natural conceptions.

Cryopreservation (freezing) of reproductive tissue

In February 2004 ESHRE reported on the findings of the task force on ethical considerations of cryopreservation of gametes and reproductive tissue for self use.

Is there a justification for genetic testing of ICSI patients??

In azoospermia and severe oligozoospermia often a genetic factor is the cause.

Pesticide exposure and invitro fertilized pregnancies

A study in Denmark has show that there is no increased risk of spontaneous abortion prior to 28 weeks of gestation when the male partner has a history of pesticide, herbicide, fungicide or growth retardants.

Breast cancer risk associated with ovulation-stimulating drugs

In a study of 12,193 women who underwent hormonal fertility treatment between 1965 and 1988 and who were followed up in 1999 for breast cancer there were 292 cases of in situ and invasive breast cancer.

Genetic risks and embryo donation

This article reports on the genetic risks associated with embryo donation as detailed by Genetics Commission of the French Federation of CECOS.

You are what you eat - endometriosis?

These authors report on the increased risk of endometriosis with different aspects of diet.

Protection of embryos…or is it?

Often it seems that science and the law collide and just such a situation is happening in Italy.

Is blastocyst transfer any better?

Austrian researchers in a retrospective study of 1259 consecutive cycles comparing outcomes of embryos transferred at day 2-3 or on day 4-5 (blastocyst stage) revealed pregnancy rates of 28% versus 44% and a take home baby rate of 17% and 34%.