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In Vitro Fertility GoddessUp-to-the-minute and carefully researched exclusive articles as well as selected articles from leading news sources and pier reviewed medical journals on key issues surrounding fertility, infertility, IVF research, public policy and the odd off beat story… .
MARCH 2010
Women Over 55 Want Fertility Treatment
Six women over the age of 55 have approached a fertility clinic for help to have a child, it has been disclosed. Last month the clinic was at the centre of controversy when doctors held a consultation with Susan Tollefsen, 59, a retired special needs teacher. Mrs Tollefsen, from Essex, who gave birth at the age of 57 after travelling to a clinic in Moscow, would be the oldest IVF mother in Britain if she went ahead with further treatment…more For some reason, mystery often clouds the causes of male infertility even though it is as frequent as infertility in women. But that could be about to change as researchers start focusing on genetic defects. The idea here is not to find a cure but to determine if male infertility related to genetics is an indication or not of more dangerous health risks both to the man and his babies…more FEBRUARY 2010 Are IVF Children More At Risk of Disease? IVF Babies Are Fine, It's the Mothers Who Are at Risk Babies born by in vitro fertilization (IVF) do not face an increased risk of birth defects, nor are they at greater risk of being smaller than normal, according to a study conducted in Japan. But the researchers did find that women pregnant via IVF were more likely than those who conceived naturally to develop a pregnancy complication called placenta previa, in which the placenta blocks the opening to the birth canal. Some studies comparing babies born through IVF and those conceived naturally have found worse outcomes for the IVF infants, including higher rates of birth defects and greater likelihood of low birth weight, Mai Fujii of the World Health Organization in Geneva and her colleagues note in their report…more 'Egg Timer' Test For Australian Couple to Help Pregnancy Planning A new test that can measure a woman's egg reserve is set to revolutionise the way women think about their future. The test, dubbed the "egg timer", will allow women for the first time to know how fast their biological clock is ticking. As soon as next month, the simple and cheap blood test will be routinely offered by IVF Australia after it was recently proven as the best known indicator of fertility…more Are Frozen Embryos Better than Fresh Ones? For women seeking help from in vitro fertilization (IVF) to become moms, frozen embryos might be an even better choice than fresh, according to a new study. The Finnish study suggests that women who use frozen embryos are somewhat less likely to give birth prematurely, compared to children conceived from an egg that is removed, fertilized and implanted "fresh" within the same cycle. The role of frozen embryos has grown over the last few years, especially in Europe where policies now favor implanting only one embryo at a time to prevent dangerous multiple pregnancies, Dr. Sari Pelkonen, of Oulu University Hospital in Finland and lead author of the study, told Reuters Health by email. This limit leaves extra embryos available for freezing, but few studies have looked carefully at whether frozen embryos are linked to higher rates of premature babies and other complications…more Researchers from Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark studied 20,000 single pregnancies and found a fourfold increased risk of stillbirths for women who had IVF or ICSI compared with women who conceived naturally. "The results from our study emphasize the need for continuous follow-up of the outcome of fertility treatments so that the information given to infertile couples seeking treatment can be differentiated to their individual circumstances," Kirsten Wisborg, who led the study, wrote in the Human Reproduction journal on Wednesday. She added, however, that the risk of stillbirth was still very low for IVF and ICSI pregnancies. The rate of stillbirth after IVF/ICSI was 16.2 per thousand, compared to 3.7 per thousand in fertile couples who conceived without medical help…more Older Women Get Fertility Warning Experts fear older women are ditching contraception in the mistaken belief that they cannot get pregnant past a certain age. Britain's Family Planning Association believes the message on infertility and age has gone "too far". Although fertility does wane, women can still get pregnant well into their thirties, forties and even fifties…more JANUARY 2010 British Woman offered IVF at 60 A 59-YEAR-OLD retired teacher has become the oldest woman to be offered fertility treatment by a British clinic, despite guidelines restricting treatment for those over 50. Doctors have agreed to treat Susan Tollefsen, who turns 60 in October, at the private London Women's Clinic on Harley Street, one of the most successful IVF units in the UK…more After 25 Years and 17 IVF Attemps, Baby Joy at Last A couple who spent £100,000 and 25 years trying to become parents have finally succeeded after the woman gave birth to twins…more DECEMBER 2009 Screening of Embryos 'Dangerous' Screening IVF embryos for genetic defects increases the death risk of multiple birth babies five times, a study has found. But the procedure, known as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) appears to be harmless for singletons…more UK Egg and Sperm Donor Rules Under Review The fertility watchdog is to look at offering more generous compensation to egg and sperm donors as a means of tackling the severe shortage of supplies for those desperate for a baby. But some are uneasy about the prospect of handing over significant amounts of cash for spare human parts, warning it may be a step too far towards the commodification of the body. The fertility watchdog is to look at offering more generous compensation to egg and sperm donors as a means of tackling the severe shortage of supplies for those desperate for a baby. But some are uneasy about the prospect of handing over significant amounts of cash for spare human parts, warning it may be a step too far towards the commodification of the body…more NOVEMBER 2009 OCTOBER 2009 Stem Cell Infertility Breakthrough British IVF Clinics Publish Success Rates Online
Two of the women, who are all being considered for treatment by the London Women's Clinic, are 58 years of age.
SEPTEMBER 2009
First Baby Born Using New Screening
AUGUST 2009
Simple Test to Detect Endometriosis
Male Infertlity Linked to Obesity
Giving Up Alcohol and Caffeine As Good As IVF
Murder Hunt for Inducing Miscarriage
JULY 2009
World's Oldest IVF Mother Dies
→ 72 Year Old Spends Fortune On Fertility Treatment
IVF Success Rates Soar in Europe
JUNE 2009
Britain's Oldest Mother at 66 Brings Baby Boy Home
MAY 2009
→ IVF Mother at 66 Sparks Fierce Debate
→ IVF Experts Slam 66 Year Old IVF Mother
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No Fertility Treatment for Mother Because Husband Already has Children
IVF Multiple Birth Increase Risk Following New IVF Budget Cuts in Australia
Infertile Couples Big Losers in Australian Federal Budget
IVF Incubator Malfunction Destroys Embroyos
Britain's IVF Watchdog Unsuitable
Secondary Infertility: My Guilt
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