In Vitro Fertility Goddess
In Vitro Fertility Goddess is "a fantastic book", "a page-turner", "a great read!"... All Reviews Here » .
Monday 27 January 2009
In a world first, British scientists used a new egg screening technique which better predicts which eggs will most likely result in pregnancy.
The treatment uses existing prenatal screening with new computer software that scrutinises the eggs for chromosomal abnormalities that can lead to miscarriage.
The test is also unique because embryos do not need to be frozen while results are obtained.
And so far it's been a resounding success, allowing a 41-year-old woman who failed no less than 13 rounds of IVF to find herself only 2 months away from giving birth.
The scientists managed to refine a complex technique to detect chromosomal problems by extracting a tiny sample of the egg that doesn't take part in the fertilisation process and which contains half the egg's chromosomes.
They then used a computer program to determine which of the eggs have the best chance of achieving a successful pregnancy.
Simon Fishel, the managing director of CAREfertility who developed the new screening test hopes it will lead to more successful pregnancies, fewer multiple births and miscarriages.
But Dr Fishel did express a word a caution: "We are going to go slowly with the technology because we don't want to raise hopes".
Stuart Lavery, the IVF director at London's Hammersmith Hospital added that "although it is still at a very early stage, this technique may offer a new diagnostic and therapeutic hope to couples who suffer from repeated implantation failure in IVF."
Sarah Williams
