Category: Fertility

Endometriosis linked to reduction in live births before diagnosis of the disease

Endometriosis is linked to a reduction in fertility in the years preceding a definitive surgical diagnosis of the condition, according to new research published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. In the first study to look at birth rates in a large group of women who eventually received a […]

Fertility may decline early in women treated for Hodgkin lymphoma in childhood, but most who try for babies when they are young are successful

Copenhagen, Denmark: Women treated for childhood Hodgkin lymphoma may face declining fertility at a younger age, according to research presented at the 39th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) [1]. The research also found that women treated for Hodgkin lymphoma may have to try for longer to become pregnant; […]

Opting to freeze eggs can help women have babies when they are older, but many do not use their frozen eggs

Copenhagen, Denmark: More than 40% of women who chose to freeze their eggs in their 30s were able to have babies later in life when they returned to the fertility clinic, according to research presented at the 39th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) [1]. However, many of the […]

Researchers urge caution in gene editing early human embryos following findings that it could have unexpected and dangerous consequences

Further research to refine gene editing technology is needed Copenhagen, Denmark: Scientists have discovered that the cells of early human embryos are often unable to repair damage to their DNA. The researchers say that this has important implications for the proposed use of gene editing techniques to remove serious inherited diseases from embryos, as well […]

Men experience a long-term drop in semen quality after COVID infection – even if the infection was mild

Copenhagen, Denmark: More than three months after suffering from mild COVID infection, men have lower sperm concentrations and fewer sperm that are able to swim, according to new findings presented at the 39th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) [1]. Professor Rocio Núñez-Calonge, scientific advisor at UR International Group […]

Are more babies born if embryos are cultured for three or five days in the lab?

Largest randomised clinical trial to date suggests that age matters Copenhagen, Denmark: Women are just as likely to give birth to live babies after fertility treatment if embryos are transferred to their wombs three days after fertilisation in the laboratory rather than five. However, the women’s age can affect the outcomes, according to new research […]

Cheap and safe hormone treatment shows promise for couples with unexplained infertility

Copenhagen, Denmark: A small study with couples experiencing unexplained infertility suggests that a hormone treatment could increase the chances of having a baby. The trial, presented at the 39th annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) [1], compared couples trying to conceive naturally with couples where the woman used a […]

Embryos’ development is delayed in pregnancies that end in miscarriage

Embryos in pregnancies that end in miscarriage take longer to develop in the womb than those in pregnancies that result in live births, according to new research published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. For the first time, researchers in The Netherlands have been able to look at the […]

Mothers’ alcohol consumption before and during pregnancy is linked to changes in children’s face shapes

Researchers have used artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning technology to find a link between alterations in the shape of children’s faces and the amount of alcohol their mothers drank, both before becoming pregnant and during pregnancy. The study, which is published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals, is […]

Fourteen per cent decrease in live births in Europe nine months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and first lockdowns

Europe saw a 14% decrease in live births in January 2021, just nine to ten months after the first peak of the COVID-19 epidemic and the first lockdowns, compared to the average numbers of live births in January 2018 and 2019. The researchers of the study, which is published in Human Reproduction [1], one of […]