Effects of interleukin-1 receptor antagonism in women with polycystic ovary syndrome-the FertIL trial.

Introduction: Chronic low-grade inflammation might contribute to hyperandrogenemia and metabolic complications in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). The proinflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1 stimulates androgen production from ovarian cells, whereas blockade of the IL-1 pathway improves cardiometabolic health. We aimed to investigate whether blocking the IL-1 pathway ameliorates hyperandrogenemia in patients with PCOS.

Survey on ART and IUI: legislation, regulation, funding, and registries in European countries-an update.

Study Question: How are ART and IUI regulated, funded, and registered in European countries, and how has the situation changed since 2018?

Summary Answer: Of the 43 countries performing ART and IUI in Europe, and participating in the survey, specific legislation exists in only 39 countries, public funding varies across and sometimes within countries (and is lacking or minimal in four countries), and national registries are in place in 33 countries; only a small number of changes were identified, most of them in the direction of improving accessibility, through increased public financial support and/or opening access to additional subgroups.

What Is Known Already: The annual reports of the European IVF-Monitoring Consortium (EIM) clearly show the existence of different approaches across Europe regarding accessibility to and efficacy of ART and IUI treatments. In a previous survey, some coherent information was gathered about how those techniques were regulated, funded, and registered in European countries, showing that diversity is the paradigm in this medical field.

ESHRE guideline: number of embryos to transfer during IVF/ICSI†.

Study Question: Which clinical and embryological factors should be considered to apply double embryo transfer (DET) instead of elective single embryo transfer (eSET)?

Summary Answer: No clinical or embryological factor per se justifies a recommendation of DET instead of eSET in IVF/ICSI.

What Is Known Already: DET is correlated with a higher rate of multiple pregnancy, leading to a subsequent increase in complications for both mother and babies. These complications include preterm birth, low birthweight, and other perinatal adverse outcomes.

Building a family at advanced parental age: a systematic review on the risks and opportunities for parents and their offspring.

Study Question: What is the existing empirical literature on the psychosocial health and wellbeing of the parents and offspring born at an advanced parental age (APA), defined as 40 years onwards?

Summary Answer: Although the studies show discrepancies in defining who is an APA parent and an imbalance in the empirical evidence for offspring, mothers, and fathers, there is a drive towards finding psychotic disorders and (neuro-)developmental disorders among the offspring; overall, the observed advantages and disadvantages are difficult to compare.

What Is Known Already: In many societies, children are born to parents at advanced ages and there is rising attention in the literature towards the consequences of this trend.

Study Design Size Duration: The systematic search was conducted in six electronic databases (PubMed including Medline, Embase, Scopus, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and SocINDEX) and was limited to papers published between 2000 and 2021 and to English-language articles.

In infertile women with subclinical hypothyroidism, with or without thyroid peroxidase antibodies, serum TSH during pregnancy follows preconception values and thyroid hormones remain stable.

Study Question: How does subclinical hypothyroidism, defined in infertile women during preconception by thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) >2.5 or >4.5 mIU/l, with or without thyroid peroxidase antibodies (anti-TPO) >100 IU/ml, impact thyroid hormone levels during pregnancy and after birth?

Summary Answer: During pregnancy, TSH levels remain similar to those in preconception, even with supplementary thyroxine, whereas the serum levels of anti-TPO progressively decline.

ART in Europe, 2019: results generated from European registries by ESHRE†.

Study Question: What are the data and trends on ART and IUI cycle numbers and their outcomes, and on fertility preservation (FP) interventions, reported in 2019 as compared to previous years?

Summary Answer: The 23rd ESHRE report highlights the rising ART treatment cycles and children born, alongside a decline in twin deliveries owing to decreasing multiple embryo transfers; fresh IVF or ICSI cycles exhibited higher delivery rates, whereas frozen embryo transfers (FET) showed higher pregnancy rates (PRs), and reported IUI cycles decreased while maintaining stable outcomes.

What Is Known Already: ART aggregated data generated by national registries, clinics, or professional societies have been gathered and analyzed by the European IVF-Monitoring (EIM) Consortium since 1997 and reported in a total of 22 manuscripts published in Human Reproduction and Human Reproduction Open.

Study Design, Size, Duration: Data on medically assisted reproduction (MAR) from European countries are collected by EIM for ESHRE each year.

A narrative review on the diagnosis and management of constipation in infants.

Introduction: Functional constipation is one of the common disorders of gut-brain interaction in infancy, and decreases the quality of life of infants and parents.

Areas Covered: Relevant articles up to November 2022 were reviewed. We searched in PubMed, Google Scholar, and MEDLINE for guidelines, position papers, reviews, and randomized controlled trials on infant constipation.

EuMAR: a roadmap towards a prospective, cycle-by-cycle registry of medically assisted reproduction in Europe.

More than 20 years ago, the survey of activities in medically assisted reproduction (MAR) was initiated in Europe and resulted in cross-sectional annual reports, as issued by the European IVF Monitoring (EIM) consortium of ESHRE. Over time, these reports mirror the continuous development of the technologies and contribute to increased transparency and surveillance of reproductive care. Meanwhile, progressive changes of existing treatment modalities and the introduction of new technologies resulted in the need of a cumulative approach in the assessment of treatment outcomes, which warrants a prospective cycle-by-cycle data registry on MAR activities, including fertility preservation.

The time has come for harmonized international ART registration.

For more than two decades, the European IVF-Monitoring Consortium has collected data on IVF in Europe with the aim of monitoring the quality and safety of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments, to ensure the highest performance with the lowest risk for patients and their offspring. Likewise, the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology in the USA and the Australia/New Zealand Assisted Reproduction Database collect, process and publish data in their regions. The better the legal framework for ART surveillance, the more complete and reliable are the datasets.

Altered DNA methylation in estrogen-responsive repetitive sequences of spermatozoa of infertile men with shortened anogenital distance.

Background: It has been suggested that antenatal exposure to environmental endocrine disruptors is responsible for adverse trends in male reproductive health, including male infertility, impaired semen quality, cryptorchidism and testicular cancer, a condition known as testicular dysgenesis syndrome. Anogenital distance (AGD) is an anthropomorphic measure of antenatal exposure to endocrine disruptors, with higher exposure levels leading to shortened AGD. We hypothesized that exposure to endocrine disruptors could lead to changes in DNA methylation during early embryonic development, which could then persist in the sperm of infertile men with shortened AGD.

Deconstructing age(s): an analysis of the different conceptions of age as a legal criterion for access to assisted reproductive technologies.

Whether there should be restrictions for access to Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) is a matter of continuous medical, societal, and ethico-legal debate. One of the most controversial topics in this context is the use of parental age as a criterion to limit access to ART. Views are divided on whether there should be an upper age limit for one or both parents and on where such limits should be.

Use of pulsatile gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in patients with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA) results in monofollicular ovulation and high cumulative live birth rates: a 25-year cohort.

Purpose: To analyze outcomes of pulsatile administration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in infertile women diagnosed with functional hypothalamic amenorrhea (FHA).

Methods: A single-center retrospective cohort study was conducted from 1996 to 2020. Sixty-six patients with the diagnosis FHA that underwent therapy using the pulsatile GnRH pump for conception were included and analyzed.

Regulatory role of JMJD6 in placental development.

Correct placental development and function are critical to both the mother's and the foetus' health during pregnancy. Placental function depends on the correct development of the vascular network, which requires proper angiogenesis. Impaired angiogenesis in the placenta can induce foetal growth restriction, preeclampsia, and even foetal death.

Intra-rater Variability of the Brussels Infants and Toddlers Stool Scale (BITSS) Using Photographed Stools.

Objectives: The Brussels Infants and Toddlers Stool Scale (BITSS) was developed for the assessment of stool consistency in non-toilet-trained children. This study aimed to (1) investigate the intra-rater reliability of the BITSS among health care professionals (HCPs) and caregivers (CGs); (2) study a potential learning curve; (3) explore the impact of photo quality on intra-rater reliability.

Methods: Photos of diapers containing stool were assessed twice by 4 HCP (2432 photos) and 8 CGs (492 photos) using the BITTS.

ART in Europe, 2018: results generated from European registries by ESHRE.

Study Question: What are the data and trends on ART and IUI cycle numbers and their outcomes, and on fertility preservation (FP) interventions, reported in 2018 as compared to previous years?

Summary Answer: The 22nd ESHRE report shows a continued increase in reported numbers of ART treatment cycles and children born in Europe, a decrease in transfers with more than one embryo with a further reduction of twin delivery rates (DRs) as compared to 2017, higher DRs per transfer after fresh IVF or ICSI cycles (without considering freeze-all cycles) than after frozen embryo transfer (FET) with higher pregnancy rates (PRs) after FET and the number of reported IUI cycles decreased while their PR and DR remained stable.

What Is Known Already: ART aggregated data generated by national registries, clinics or professional societies have been gathered and analysed by the European IVF-monitoring Consortium (EIM) since 1997 and reported in 21 manuscripts published in and

Study Design Size Duration: Data on medically assisted reproduction (MAR) from European countries are collected by EIM for ESHRE on a yearly basis. The data on treatment cycles performed between 1 January and 31 December 2018 were provided by either national registries or registries based on initiatives of medical associations and scientific organizations or committed persons of 39 countries.

Excess mortality caused by the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacts birth numbers in European countries.

Study Question: How did the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affect live birth numbers in Europe?

Summary Answer: In 14 European countries with validated datasets on live birth numbers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, excess mortality was inversely correlated with live birth numbers.

What Is Known Already: Since March 2020, in order to minimize spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and reducing strain on the health care systems, many national authorities have imposed containments and restricted both indoor and outdoor recreational activities. Historical events, such as electricity blackouts, have repeatedly been shown to exert incremental effects on birth numbers.

Identification and selection of healthy spermatozoa in heterozygous carriers of the Phe508del-variant of the CFTR-gene in assisted reproduction.

The pathogenic variant Phe508del of the CFTR-gene is the most frequent cause of cystic fibrosis (CF). Whereas male CF-patients are infertile due to bilateral agenesis of the efferent ducts, the fertility status of male heterozygous carriers is uncertain. We aimed at demonstrating the involvement of the CFTR-ion channel during sperm capacitation and to potentially select variant-free spermatozoa in heterozygous carriers of the CFTR-variant using flow cytometry (FC).

Intra- and inter-cycle variability of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels in healthy women during non-consecutive menstrual cycles: the BICYCLE study.

Objectives: Determine variability of serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels during ovulatory menstrual cycles between different women (inter-participant), between non-consecutive cycles (inter-cycle) and within a single cycle (intra-cycle) in healthy women.

Methods: Eligible participants were women aged 18-40 years with regular ovulatory menstrual cycles. Serum samples were collected every second day during two non-consecutive menstrual cycles.

Hydrogen and Methane Breath Test in the Diagnosis of Lactose Intolerance.

The hydrogen (H) breath test is a non-invasive investigation used to diagnose lactose intolerance (LI). Patients with LI may also expire increased amounts of methane (CH) during a lactose test. The aim of this study is to evaluate the contribution of CH measurements.

How to manage irritable bowel syndrome in children.

Aim: This paper discusses the risk factors and management of paediatric irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), with a focus on the role of the gastrointestinal microbiome.

Methods: English articles of interest published in PubMed and Google Scholar were searched using subject heading and keywords of interest.

Results: Only few randomised controlled trials on the management of IBS in children have been published.

ART in Europe, 2017: results generated from European registries by ESHRE.

Study Question: What are the data on ART and IUI cycles, and fertility preservation (FP) interventions reported in 2017 as compared to previous years, as well as the main trends over the years?

Summary Answer: The 21st ESHRE report on ART and IUI shows the continual increase in reported treatment cycle numbers in Europe, with a decrease in the proportion of transfers with more than one embryo causing an additional slight reduction of multiple delivery rates (DR) as well as higher pregnancy rates (PR) and DR after frozen embryo replacement (FER) compared to fresh IVF and ICSI cycles, while the number of IUI cycles increased and their outcomes remained stable.

What Is Known Already: Since 1997, ART aggregated data generated by national registries, clinics or professional societies have been gathered and analyzed by the European IVF-monitoring Consortium (EIM) and communicated in a total of 20 manuscripts published in and .

Study Design Size Duration: Data on European medically assisted reproduction (MAR) are collected by EIM for ESHRE on a yearly basis.