Embryo Transfer with Controlled Injection Speed to Increase Pregnancy Rates: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background/aims: Catheter injection speed affects depth and placement of the embryo into the uterine cavity and is shown to be highly variable in, and between, subjects in a manually performed embryo transfer. In an effort to standardize the injection speed during embryo transfer, we developed an automated transfer pump: the pump-regulated embryo transfer (PRET) device. In this randomized controlled trial, we aimed to investigate if standardization of the injection speed and pressure with this PRET results in a better controlled positioning of the transferred embryo(s).

Reproductive outcome after early-onset pre-eclampsia.

Background: Early-onset pre-eclampsia is an important cause of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality and is believed to have a significant impact on future maternal physical and psychological health. However, structured follow-up data of women with a history of early-onset pre-eclampsia are lacking. This study aims to present comprehensive data of a large cohort of women with a history of early-onset pre-eclampsia with respect to future reproductive health, family planning and subsequent pregnancy rates.

Effectiveness of highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin in intra-uterine insemination.

Objective: In assisted reproductive techniques it is important to find a balance between high pregnancy and acceptable multiple pregnancy rates. In IVF treatment, stimulation with highly purified human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) results in comparable or even higher pregnancy rates at lower oocyte yields compared to recombinant FSH. Since highly purified hMG contains LH activity, a number of the advantages of highly purified hMG may be attributed to this LH activity.

Blood-borne angiogenic factors and sustained multiple implantation: a comparison of singleton and twin pregnancies.

This study aimed to compare longitudinal serum concentrations of angiogenic implantation factors between ongoing singleton and twin pregnancies after double-embryo transfer and to investigate whether these are involved in sustained double implantation. Sixteen patients with an ongoing singleton and nine patients with an ongoing twin pregnancy after double-embryo transfer were included in this prospective observational study. Main outcome measures were concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), inhibin A, glycodelin A, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II), insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1) and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) at baseline, during the IVF treatment and in early pregnancy.

Lower incidence of hypertensive complications during pregnancy in patients treated with low-dose aspirin during in vitro fertilization and early pregnancy.

Background: The use of aspirin during in vitro fertilization (IVF) has been investigated for its effect on pregnancy rates after IVF. In most of these studies, aspirin administration was then prolonged throughout the first trimester of pregnancy. By inhibiting vasoconstriction, the use of low-dose aspirin in the first trimester could influence placentation and therefore prevent or delay development of hypertensive pregnancy complications, such as pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) and pre-eclampsia (PE).