Cumulative live birth rate of a blastocyst versus cleavage stage embryo transfer policy during in vitro fertilisation in women with a good prognosis: multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: To evaluate whether embryo transfers at blastocyst stage improve the cumulative live birth rate after oocyte retrieval, including both fresh and frozen-thawed transfers, and whether the risk of obstetric and perinatal complications is increased compared with cleavage stage embryo transfers during in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment.

Design: Multicentre randomised controlled trial.

Setting: 21 hospitals and clinics in the Netherlands, 18 August 2018 to 17 December 2021.

Cleavage-stage versus blastocyst-stage embryo transfer in assisted reproductive technology.

Background: Advances in embryo culture media have led to a shift in in vitro fertilisation (IVF) practice from cleavage-stage embryo transfer to blastocyst-stage embryo transfer. The rationale for blastocyst-stage transfer is to improve both uterine and embryonic synchronicity and enable self selection of viable embryos, thus resulting in better live birth rates.

Objectives: To determine whether blastocyst-stage (day 5 to 6) embryo transfer improves the live birth rate (LBR) per fresh transfer, and other associated outcomes, compared with cleavage-stage (day 2 to 3) embryo transfer.

Comparing the cumulative live birth rate of cleavage-stage versus blastocyst-stage embryo transfers between IVF cycles: a study protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled superiority trial (the ToF trial).

Introduction: In vitro fertilisation (IVF) has evolved as an intervention of choice to help couples with infertility to conceive. In the last decade, a strategy change in the day of embryo transfer has been developed. Many IVF centres choose nowadays to transfer at later stages of embryo development, for example, transferring embryos at blastocyst stage instead of cleavage stage.

Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (abnormal number of chromosomes) in in vitro fertilisation.

Background: In in vitro fertilisation (IVF) with or without intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), selection of the most competent embryo(s) for transfer is based on morphological criteria. However, many women do not achieve a pregnancy even after 'good quality' embryo transfer. One of the presumed causes is that such morphologically normal embryos have an abnormal number of chromosomes (aneuploidies).

Obstetric anal sphincter injury: a follow-up questionnaire study on longer-term outcomes.

Introduction And Hypothesis: Obstetric anal sphincter injuries (OASIS) contribute significantly to the development of anal incontinence (AI) in women. The aim of this study was to establish the incidence of AI after OASIS and to study the influence on the quality of life (QoL) in patients with OASIS.

Methods: This cohort study, with prospective case-control follow-up, involves women who were treated for OASIS between 2005 and 2012 in two academic medical centers in The Netherlands.