When my husband and I were in the middle of our IVF cycle and obsessing over shots, ultrasounds, invasive procedures and Googling every “early pregnancy symptom” ever documented, the last thing on our minds was having too many quality embryos.
Tag: embryos
Planning for the Future: Technology Advances Fertility Options
Freezing eggs and embryos for infertility treatment and family planning has become more successful thanks to advances in technology. But the practice comes with many questions parents must consider.
U-M Alum’s Embryo Donation ‘Responsible, Right’
For Brooke Kendrick, there was never a decision to make. Donating her embryos — the ones that carried a genetic mutation that stole her brother’s ability to walk on his own — was a conclusion before it was a question.
Couples Give Up Frozen Embryos For ‘Adoption’
They weren’t comfortable donating their embryos for scientific research or destroying them; they believe life begins at conception. So the Hendersons legally signed them over to Dan and Kelli Gassman of Salem, Ore. — another Christian couple a lot like them who still struggled with fertility problems.
Embryo Transfers and Multiple Births: Doing the Math in Reproductive Endocrinology
Ever since several highly publicized and probably ill-advised multiple births became fodder for the media, the question of how many embryos should be implanted has been discussed openly. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) published a 2013 guideline addressing the number of embryos to transfer. Its guideline relied on empiric data to individualize patient care while minimizing the risk of high-order multiple (HOM; 3 or more offspring) births. The guideline considers patient age and prognosis also. One gap in the guideline is recommendations for women older than age 42; its authors noted that more study is needed before evidence-based recommendations can be made.
Does Woman Need Ex’s Permission to Use Embryos?
An Elgin man who donated his sperm to create embryos with his ex-girlfriend no longer wants them used. Does she need his consent?
Twins: The Fetal Paradox
The risk of multiples has long been an unfortunate cost of IVF. Since the first test-tube baby in 1978, doctors have been transferring multiple embryos to a mother’s uterus in hopes of achieving one healthy fetus. Back then, doctors had no way of knowing which embryo would be the one, so “people were hedging their bets,” says Dr. Robert Stillman, medical director emeritus at Shady Grove Fertility Center, the largest fertility program in the country. But thanks to improvements in technology, fertility doctors today are much better at selecting healthy embryos to transfer.
Experimental Infertility Treatment Seems Effective, Cheaper
A crucial part of conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) — the incubation of embryos in a laboratory dish — can instead take place in a device inside the vagina, new research suggests.
Chemotherapy Can Cause Premature Menopause, Infertility
Women are increasingly freezing their eggs and embryos before cancer treatment begins, because the treatment can cause premature menopause and infertility. Women are increasingly freezing their eggs and embryos before cancer treatment begins, because the treatment can cause premature menopause and infertility.
Embryo Testing Should Not Be Controversial
Genetic screening is a wonderful technology that can change the face of IVF: Doctors can finally know which embryos are healthy instead of guessing based on an embryo’s appearance (healthy-looking embryos are not always healthy).