I'm just back from the annual meeting of the British Fertility Society where there were some fascinating presentations, including one detailing some new research about babies born from frozen embryos. Researchers found that babies born from frozen embryos are heavier and have a longer gestation than babies born after fresh IVF cycles - and are therefore more likely to be healthier.
It's important news at the current time when more and more people are putting back one embryo at a time and using freezing techniques. We often assume that using fresh embryos must be better when possible, but this new research suggests that may not be the case. It isn't yet certain why frozen embryos do so well, although previous research had suggested that it was linked to the fact that only the strongest, healthiest embryos would survive the freezing and thawing process.
Whatever the reasons, this is reassuring news for anyone having fertility treatment. You can read the press release from the British Fertility Society here.
Showing posts with label British Fertility Society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label British Fertility Society. Show all posts
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Monday, 15 March 2010
Acupuncture guidelines
Complementary therapies for fertility problems are becoming ever more popular, and acupuncture in particular is generally accepted to be a successful alternative or addition to conventional treatments. Having a session of acupuncture before and after embryo transfer is thought to increase the chances of implantation. Indeed, it’s now so popular that some fertility clinics have acupuncturists working on site to provide an integrated service alongside the medical treatment due to patient demand. However, the British Fertility Society has now questioned the accepted wisdom that you're more likely to get pregnant if you've had acupuncture alongside your IVF.
They've issued guidelines which say there's no evidence that having acupuncture (or using Chinese herbal medicine) increases your chances of having successful fertility treatment. They examined the results of fourteen existing trials, which included more than two and a half thousand patients, and found no evidence that acupuncture made any difference to the outcome of fertility treatment. Acupuncturists question the methods used for the trials, but the lack of evidence cannot be entirely meaningless given the number of patients involved.
When The Complete Guide to IVF was published, I was questioned by an acupuncturist who didn’t feel I had been sufficiently positive about acupuncture during treatment in the book. In fact, I am not against the idea of complementary therapies at all, and I think that if they can make you feel calmer and more relaxed, this can only have a positive outcome. I had, however, pointed out that scientific evidence was not clear cut when it came to backing up claims that having acupuncture during an IVF cycle increased success rates. If you find that acupuncture makes you more able to deal with the ups and downs of IVF, then there’s every reason to use it while you’re having treatment. If on the other hand, you are spending money you can ill afford looking and are expecting miracles, it may be worth reconsidering.
You can read more about the British Fertility Society take on this at www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk
They've issued guidelines which say there's no evidence that having acupuncture (or using Chinese herbal medicine) increases your chances of having successful fertility treatment. They examined the results of fourteen existing trials, which included more than two and a half thousand patients, and found no evidence that acupuncture made any difference to the outcome of fertility treatment. Acupuncturists question the methods used for the trials, but the lack of evidence cannot be entirely meaningless given the number of patients involved.
When The Complete Guide to IVF was published, I was questioned by an acupuncturist who didn’t feel I had been sufficiently positive about acupuncture during treatment in the book. In fact, I am not against the idea of complementary therapies at all, and I think that if they can make you feel calmer and more relaxed, this can only have a positive outcome. I had, however, pointed out that scientific evidence was not clear cut when it came to backing up claims that having acupuncture during an IVF cycle increased success rates. If you find that acupuncture makes you more able to deal with the ups and downs of IVF, then there’s every reason to use it while you’re having treatment. If on the other hand, you are spending money you can ill afford looking and are expecting miracles, it may be worth reconsidering.
You can read more about the British Fertility Society take on this at www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk
Monday, 17 November 2008
New measures to recruit sperm donors
Finally, a call for measures to recruit more sperm donors... Anyone who needs treatment with donor sperm in the UK will be only too aware of the shortage of
donors here. It's often blamed on the removal of anonymity, although some say it has just as much to do with the lack of time and effort clinics have put into recruitment.
Now, the British Fertility Society has highlighted the problem, and is calling for new measures to encourage the recruitment of donors and to reduce waiting lists. The expert group suggests sperm sharing schemes could be considered, where couples who need fertility treatment could be offered it more cheaply if the male partner donates some sperm. They have also suggested that the limit on the number of children born from an individual's donation could be increased. You can read more about their proposals at www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk
donors here. It's often blamed on the removal of anonymity, although some say it has just as much to do with the lack of time and effort clinics have put into recruitment.
Now, the British Fertility Society has highlighted the problem, and is calling for new measures to encourage the recruitment of donors and to reduce waiting lists. The expert group suggests sperm sharing schemes could be considered, where couples who need fertility treatment could be offered it more cheaply if the male partner donates some sperm. They have also suggested that the limit on the number of children born from an individual's donation could be increased. You can read more about their proposals at www.britishfertilitysociety.org.uk
Monday, 28 July 2008
Lifestyle issues
You've probably heard a lot in the last week about the survey of fertility experts that showed they thought people's lifestyles should be taken into consideration when deciding whether they should have IVF. The survey, for the British Fertility Society, questioned about 200 experts in the field, and just 29% of them thought that treatment should be offered to all, regardless of their lifestyle. So anyone who couldn't get pregnant and was overweight, who drank or who smoked should beware...
It is true that all of these things can affect your chances of conceiving, but it is also true that many people who smoke, who are overweight and who drink get pregnant naturally without any trouble. No one in their right mind would smoke or drink to excess when they were pregnant, but it does seem that those of us who don't get pregnant easily are expected to turn into paragons of virtue in order for others to feel we should be allowed to try to have children. We shouldn't forget the immense stress of living through year after year of trying to conceive unsuccessfully, and perhaps should forgive rather than chastise those who end up succumbing to bad habits every now and again. And when it comes to weight, one of the most common causes of female infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, makes it harder for women to lose weight.
When I wrote The Complete Guide to Female Fertility , I gave lots of advice on lifestyle changes you can make to try to maximise your chances of getting pregnant because I know that people want to do whatever they can. However, it is also important to recognise that making your life utterly miserable in order to have the best possible lifestyle for conception may be counterproductive.
Professor Bill Ledger , one of the country's leading fertility experts, gave an absolutely fascinating presentation on this at National Infertility Day, in which he explained how guilty fertility patients are made to feel about their lifestyles, and how this can cause stress, which is known to damage fertility. It was a refreshing look at the subject, as all too often we end up feeling we are to blame for our fertility problems. Of course you should try to give up smoking, of course you shouldn't drink too much, and if you are overweight you should try to lose some excess pounds, but if you don't reach your ideal weight, or get drunk at a party, or find yourself having the occasional sneaky cigarette, you shouldn't feel you've ruined your chances of ever being allowed to try to have a baby. Guilt, Professor Ledger told us, is the new black!
But getting back to the
British Fertility Society survey ... Apart from the stuff on lifestyle issues, one of the main findings was that most experts in the field wanted to see more research into new techniques used in IVF, such as immume therapy and PGS, and felt they were offered to patients too quickly before scientific trials had shown them to be effective. This is something patients would welcome, as it is impossible to know who to believe or what to trust when the evidence on these treatments is so scanty. From the patient perspective, perhaps the most reassuring finding of the survey was that the majority of the experts believed fertility treatment should be funded by the NHS - maybe one day we'll see the implementation of the government's own advisory body's recommendation of three funded cycles for those who need them...
It is true that all of these things can affect your chances of conceiving, but it is also true that many people who smoke, who are overweight and who drink get pregnant naturally without any trouble. No one in their right mind would smoke or drink to excess when they were pregnant, but it does seem that those of us who don't get pregnant easily are expected to turn into paragons of virtue in order for others to feel we should be allowed to try to have children. We shouldn't forget the immense stress of living through year after year of trying to conceive unsuccessfully, and perhaps should forgive rather than chastise those who end up succumbing to bad habits every now and again. And when it comes to weight, one of the most common causes of female infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, makes it harder for women to lose weight.
When I wrote The Complete Guide to Female Fertility , I gave lots of advice on lifestyle changes you can make to try to maximise your chances of getting pregnant because I know that people want to do whatever they can. However, it is also important to recognise that making your life utterly miserable in order to have the best possible lifestyle for conception may be counterproductive.
Professor Bill Ledger , one of the country's leading fertility experts, gave an absolutely fascinating presentation on this at National Infertility Day, in which he explained how guilty fertility patients are made to feel about their lifestyles, and how this can cause stress, which is known to damage fertility. It was a refreshing look at the subject, as all too often we end up feeling we are to blame for our fertility problems. Of course you should try to give up smoking, of course you shouldn't drink too much, and if you are overweight you should try to lose some excess pounds, but if you don't reach your ideal weight, or get drunk at a party, or find yourself having the occasional sneaky cigarette, you shouldn't feel you've ruined your chances of ever being allowed to try to have a baby. Guilt, Professor Ledger told us, is the new black!
But getting back to the
British Fertility Society survey ... Apart from the stuff on lifestyle issues, one of the main findings was that most experts in the field wanted to see more research into new techniques used in IVF, such as immume therapy and PGS, and felt they were offered to patients too quickly before scientific trials had shown them to be effective. This is something patients would welcome, as it is impossible to know who to believe or what to trust when the evidence on these treatments is so scanty. From the patient perspective, perhaps the most reassuring finding of the survey was that the majority of the experts believed fertility treatment should be funded by the NHS - maybe one day we'll see the implementation of the government's own advisory body's recommendation of three funded cycles for those who need them...
Thursday, 12 June 2008
Fertility treatment slammed by experts
It was claimed it offered hope to those who were least likely to be successful with IVF - women who were over 35, who'd had repeatedly unsuccessful attempts at treatment or recurrent miscarriages. By screening embryos, some experts believed they could select the best ones to replace, and increase the chances of success. The treatment is called PGS, or preimplantation genetic screening, and although it was costly, many couples felt it was worth paying for anything that might increase their chances of success.
Now, a group of leading experts from the British Fertility Society have issued new guidelines on the use of PGS, as they say research suggests women who use it are LESS likely to get pregnant. PGS involves taking a sample cell from embryos and testing for chromosomal abnormalities. Only embryos that appear to be normal are replaced. However, in their early stages embryos can contain a mixture of normal and abnormal cells, so results may not be accurate.
There is controversy over the existing research in the field, with doctors who practice PGS claiming the studies that show it may lead to a reduced pregnancy rate are flawed. Now, the British Fertility Society says new research should be carried out as a matter of urgency to find out the truth for once and for all. That may come too late for anyone who is going through treatment, and considering PGS, but you may want to talk it through with your doctor before going ahead. You can see the British Fertility Society press release here
Now, a group of leading experts from the British Fertility Society have issued new guidelines on the use of PGS, as they say research suggests women who use it are LESS likely to get pregnant. PGS involves taking a sample cell from embryos and testing for chromosomal abnormalities. Only embryos that appear to be normal are replaced. However, in their early stages embryos can contain a mixture of normal and abnormal cells, so results may not be accurate.
There is controversy over the existing research in the field, with doctors who practice PGS claiming the studies that show it may lead to a reduced pregnancy rate are flawed. Now, the British Fertility Society says new research should be carried out as a matter of urgency to find out the truth for once and for all. That may come too late for anyone who is going through treatment, and considering PGS, but you may want to talk it through with your doctor before going ahead. You can see the British Fertility Society press release here
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