One in eight women and one in ten men have experienced infertility, yet nearly half of them have not sought medical help, according to a study of more than 15,000 women and men in Britain published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. The study found that, of those who […]
Category: Fertility
World report on fertility treatments reveals high use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI); editor attacks the over-use of ICSI as ‘ineffective and costly care’
The editor-in-chief of one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals has attacked the rising use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) for the treatment of infertility, following publication of the latest world report on assisted reproductive technologies (ART) [1]. The report in Human Reproduction shows that while ICSI use has levelled off in some regions, […]
BRCA1 gene mutation is linked to women having fewer eggs in their ovaries
Researchers have discovered a link between the BRCA1 gene mutation and lower levels of a hormone that is an indicator of the number of eggs left in a woman’s ovaries, according to research published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals. In the first large study looking at BRCA1 and […]
New research shows ovarian transplants appear to be safe and effective
Women who have ovarian tissue removed, stored and then transplanted back to them at a later date have a good chance of successfully becoming pregnant, according to a review of the largest series of ovarian transplants performed worldwide. The study, published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine journals, shows that, […]
A cancer diagnosis while pregnant should not lead to treatment delay or pregnancy termination
Vienna, Austria: Women who are pregnant when diagnosed with cancer can start treatment for their disease immediately and do not need to terminate their pregnancy due to worries over the effects of therapy on the development of their child. In a special session on cancer in pregnancy at the 2015 European Cancer Congress [1] on […]
Hormonal therapy could prevent ovarian failure and preserve fertility in women with breast cancer
Vienna, Austria: Young women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer may be more likely to remain fertile if they also receive hormonal treatment, according to new research presented to the 2015 European Cancer Congress [1] and published simultaneously in Annals of Oncology [2]. Researchers told the Congress that the addition of treatment with a so-called luteinising […]
First live birth after transplantation of ovarian tissue removed and frozen during childhood
A young woman has become the first in the world to give birth to a healthy child after doctors restored her fertility by transplanting ovarian tissue that had been removed and frozen while she was a child. A report of the case is published in Human Reproduction [1], one of the world’s leading reproductive medicine […]
First national study of non-invasive prenatal testing shows it works and is preferred by high-risk women
Glasgow, United Kingdom: Results from a national study of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in women at high risk of having a baby with Down’s syndrome have been presented at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics. The Netherlands is the first country in the world to include NIPT in a government supported, […]
Novel genetic mutations may arise during early embryonic development rather than being acquired from the parents’ germline
Glasgow, United Kingdom: New, sophisticated gene sequencing techniques are leading to an increasing understanding of the causes of genetic disease, and can help parents with affected children make informed reproductive choices, according to research presented at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics. Until now, de novo genetic mutations, alterations in a […]
Non-invasive prenatal foetal testing can detect early stage cancer in mothers
Glasgow, United Kingdom: Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for chromosomal foetal disorders is used increasingly to test for conditions such as Down’s syndrome. NIPT examines DNA from the foetus in the mother’s blood, and therefore does not carry the risk of miscarriage involved in invasive testing methods. Now, for the first time, researchers have found another […]