Publications by authors named "Arne Sunde"
Study Question: What has the ESHRE programme 'ESHRE Certification for Clinical Embryologists' achieved after 10 years?
Summary Answer: The post-exam analysis showed a pass rate of 60% for Clinical and 50% for Senior Clinical Embryologists and a high level of internal consistency of all exams, leading to a total of 773 certified Clinical and 493 Senior Clinical Embryologists over the decade.
What Is Known Already: In an ESHRE survey on the educational and professional status of Clinical Embryology in Europe, it was found that education of laboratory personnel working in the field of assisted reproduction is highly variable between countries. In 2008, ESHRE introduced a programme, curriculum and certification in the field of Clinical Embryology.
Study Question: Can a consensus and evidence-driven set of terms and definitions be generated to be used globally in order to ensure consistency when reporting on infertility issues and fertility care interventions, as well as to harmonize communication among the medical and scientific communities, policy-makers, and lay public including individuals and couples experiencing fertility problems?
Summary Answer: A set of 283 consensus-based and evidence-driven terminologies used in infertility and fertility care has been generated through an inclusive consensus-based process with multiple stakeholders.
What Is Known Already: In 2006 the International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ICMART) published a first glossary of 53 terms and definitions. In 2009 ICMART together with WHO published a revised version expanded to 87 terms, which defined infertility as a disease of the reproductive system, and increased standardization of fertility treatment terminology.
Study Question: Can a consensus and evidence-driven set of terms and definitions be generated to be used globally in order to ensure consistency when reporting on infertility issues and fertility care interventions, as well as to harmonize communication among the medical and scientific communities, policy-makers, and lay public including individuals and couples experiencing fertility problems?
Summary Answer: A set of 283 consensus-based and evidence-driven terminologies used in infertility and fertility care has been generated through an inclusive consensus-based process with multiple stakeholders.
What Is Known Already: In 2006 the International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ICMART) published a first glossary of 53 terms and definitions. In 2009 ICMART together with WHO published a revised version expanded to 87 terms, which defined infertility as a disease of the reproductive system, and increased standardization of fertility treatment terminology.
Study Question: Is it important that end-users know the composition of human embryo culture media?
Summary Answer: We argue that there is as strong case for full transparency concerning the composition of embryo culture media intended for human use.
What Is Known Already: Published data suggest that the composition of embryo culture media may influence the phenotype of the offspring.
Study Design, Size, Duration: A review of the literature was carried out.
IVF, a procedure in which pharmacological and technological manipulation is used to promote pregnancy, offers help to infertile couples by circumventing selection at the most fundamental level. Fertility is clearly one of the key fitness-promoting drivers in all forms of sexually reproducing life, and fertilization and pregnancy are fundamental evolutionary processes that involve a range of pre- and post-zygotic screening mechanisms. Here, we discuss the various selection and screening factors involved in fertilization and pregnancy and assess IVF practices in light of these factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe assisted reproductive technology laboratory: toward evidence-based practice?
Fertil Steril
August 2013
In the past decades, the efficiency of human assisted reproductive technologies (ART) has improved. We have witnessed important new developments such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection, blastocyst culture, vitrification, and methods for genetic analysis of human embryos. Despite these improvements, current ART laboratories are to a large extent composed of general laboratory equipment that is not designed and manufactured especially for human ART.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Previous studies have suggested that assisted reproduction technology (ART) is associated with increased risk of breech presentation. We investigated whether factors that tend to differ between ART and spontaneously conceived pregnancies may explain the higher risk of breech deliveries associated with ART.
Material And Methods: In this population-based cohort study, we included 1 209 151 singleton pregnancies reported to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway between 1984 and 2006 and compared the risk of breech presentation in 8229 ART pregnancies with that in spontaneously conceived pregnancies.
Background: Research suggests that singleton births following assisted fertilisation are associated with adverse outcomes; however, these results might be confounded by factors that affect both fertility and pregnancy outcome. We therefore compared pregnancy outcomes in women who had singleton pregnancies conceived both spontaneously and after assisted fertilisation.
Methods: In a population-based cohort study, we assessed differences in birthweight, gestational age, and odds ratios (OR) of small for gestational age babies, premature births, and perinatal deaths in singletons (gestation >/=22 weeks or birthweight >/=500 g) born to 2546 Norwegian women (>20 years) who had conceived at least one child spontaneously and another after assisted fertilisation among 1 200 922 births after spontaneous conception and 8229 after assisted fertilisation.
Multiple pregnancies in assisted reproduction can be regarded as iatrogenic and avoidable, given that the phenomenon is related to the number of embryos replaced. Prospective studies have shown that transferring one fresh embryo and subsequently one frozen embryo gives similar cumulative pregnancy rates to transferring two fresh embryos. However, the multiple pregnancy rates differ significantly between the two strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To determine the effects of metformin treatment on serum androgen levels ahead of and during the IVF cycle in infertile polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) women.
Design: A prospective, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.
Setting: Single-center, university IVF clinic.
Objective: Low-grade chronic inflammation, evaluated by serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, has been connected with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Effects of metformin on CRP before and during IVF treatment in women with PCOS are unknown.
Design: A prospective double-blind placebo-controlled study.
Background: More than one embryo is normally transferred per cycle to increase the probability for pregnancy after assisted reproduction. This has led to a high rate of multiple pregnancies, which increases the risk of complications for the mother and child.
Material And Methods: 2765 assisted reproduction cycles were performed in the Fertility Unit at St.
Background: The risk of placenta previa may be increased in pregnancies conceived by assisted reproduction technology (ART). Whether the increased risk is due to factors related to the reproductive technology, or associated with maternal factors, is not known.
Methods: In a nationwide population-based study, we included 845,384 pregnancies reported to the Medical Birth Registry of Norway between 1988 and 2002 and compared the risk of placenta previa in 7568 pregnancies conceived after assisted fertilization, with the risk in naturally conceived pregnancies.