Fertility Blogs

a blog by Mylene Yao, M.D., CEO and Co-Founder, Univfy, Inc., May 7, 2013

In the previous post, we talked about ovarian fertility factors that must be considered together to get a complete picture of whether you are likely to become pregnant with IVF. Your ovarian reserve and your previous response to gonadotropins, along with your chronological age are all contributors to your fertility. With so much emphasis on the female, we should not forget the male side of things. We also need healthy sperm to create healthy embryos.

Congratulations to Jessica and Anthony Lombardo! Last year during National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW) they were the winners of a free IVF cycle from Northern California Fertility Medical Center.

a blog by Kim Griffiths, April 9, 2013

A study published in the journal Human Reproduction in March 2013 says there is no conclusive evidence for increased risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children born of in vitro fertilization (IVF). This study is similar to another released last month, which concluded that health complications in offspring born after infertility is typically the result of some other underlying cause rather than fertility treatment.

a blog by Kim Griffiths, February 27, 2013

The spring season is often a reminder of new life and new beginnings. Holidays like Easter, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day focus on the family; babies and new life in particular. It can be a difficult time of year for couples coping with infertility.

a blog by Mylene Yao, M.D., Univfy, Inc., February 7, 2013

I’ve spent a good many years thinking about the embryo to figure out how to best peer into the black box that controls the first few days of embryo development. We are just scratching the surface of understanding molecular switches which, when malfunctioning, can lead to heartbreaking experiences. The results can include some types of miscarriages, biochemical pregnancies (pregnancies that fail shortly after pregnancy tests turn positive and before any signs of pregnancy can be detected by ultrasound), failed IVF attempts, and a catch-all called aneuploidy (or an abnormal number of chromosomes). We are endeavoring to unveil the mysteries of the black box, layer by layer, to be able to provide personalized medicine to our patients, tailoring treatment to each one’s individual disease at the molecular level in the way that doctors are now able to treat some types of breast cancer.

a blog by Natalie Cekleniak, M.D., IRMS Reproductive Medicine at Saint Barnabas, January 15, 2013

With now over 3.5 million babies resulting from in vitro fertilization (IVF), constant attention to improving not only success rates of IVF but safety regarding the mother and fetus is paramount. Data now describe better obstetric and perinatal outcomes in pregnancies resulting from frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles, when compared with fresh embryo transfers. In addition, success rates with frozen embryos are very similar to that with fresh embryos. This naturally raises the question of whether all embryos should be frozen and transferred at a later date. Is it time to retire fresh embryo transfer?

a blog by Claire, January 6, 2013

An outrageous rumor is circulating the internet that Khloe Kardashian is sneaking in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments behind husband, Lamar Odom’s back. Can you imagine?

a blog by Claire, November 29, 2012

Still searching for the perfect holiday gift? What about a voucher for egg freezing?

The news is all abuzz these days with stories of young couples finding creative ways to pay for their fertility treatment, so why not consider a gift to help ease the financial burden of fertility treatment- particularly fertility preservation?

a blog by Laurence A. Jacobs, M.D., Fertility Centers of Illinois, October 24, 2012

There are two topics that have been in the news lately that are contributing to the success of in vitro fertilization and offer hope for many couples.

a blog by Lindsay Thomason, WHNP, Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group

What would you be willing to go through to have the family you’ve always dreamed of? Would you want to give yourself the best chance to have that family? Would you agree to take shots? Would you be willing to have surgery? Would you find the money to afford it someway, somehow?

Many women who struggle with infertility may find it easy to answer yes to these questions, but find it difficult to follow through by proceeding with in vitro fertilization (IVF). This is often the hardest decision patients face when deciding how to build their family. IVF seems so foreign, and even scary, that patients prefer to start with more conservative treatment, such as timed intercourse or intrauterine inseminations (IUI). While this is definitely a more comfortable bridge to take into the world of infertility, the reality is that many patients won’t have success with these treatments. Heather Blackmon, embryologist at Piedmont Reproductive Endocrinology Group (PREG) in Greenville, SC finds it best to look at the numbers: “IUI offers only a 16 percent pregnancy rate for the BEST prognosis patients, defined as those with young eggs (under 35) and a NORMAL semen analysis. IVF utilizing ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), or manual fertilization of eggs by sperm) provides a 60 percent pregnancy rate for the WORST prognosis patients.”

a blog by Claire, July 25, 2012

Today, in vitro fertilization turns 34, and aging has certainly improved her. The first IVF baby, Louise Brown, was born July 25, 1978, in England as the result of collaborative work of Patrick Steptoe, M.D., and Robert Edwards, Ph.D. Things moved quickly after that. Here's a few highlights of some key events.

a blog by Claire, June 21, 2012

Lesley Brown, the British woman who became the mother of the world's first baby via in vitro fertilization (IVF), died on June 6 at the age of 64. This "quiet and private" woman, according to her daughter Louise, took a brave, important step of trying IVF in order to conceive a child, and she made history on July 25, 1978, when she successfully delivered her daughter.

"Lesley Brown’s courage and forward thinking paved the way for millions of families today who have utilized in vitro fertilization therapy," says Pavna Brahma, M.D., a fertility doctor with Reproductive Biology Associates of Atlanta. "Our field will be forever indebted to her for being a visionary and a true inspiration."