School-age outcomes among IVF-conceived children: A population-wide cohort study.

Background: In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a common mode of conception. Understanding the long-term implications for these children is important. The aim of this study was to determine the causal effect of IVF conception on primary school-age childhood developmental and educational outcomes, compared with outcomes following spontaneous conception.

The incidence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy following sperm donation in IVF: an Australian state-wide retrospective cohort study.

Study Question: Does IVF using donor sperm increase the risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and fetal growth restriction (FGR)?

Summary Answer: IVF conceptions arising from sperm donation are not associated with an increased risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy or FGR.

What Is Known Already: It has been hypothesized that the absence of prior exposure to factors within the paternal ejaculate increases the risk of preeclampsia and FGR among nulliparous women or women with a new partner-the concept of 'primipaternity'. It remains unclear which element of the ejaculate is responsible: the sperm cell or the constituents of seminal fluid.

The Effects of Adjuvant Therapies on Embryo Transfer Success.

Background: Many adjuvant therapies are employed during IVF treatment in an attempt to improve outcomes. The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of thirteen adjuvants (Intralipid, steroids, melatonin, coenzyme Q10, Filgrastim, testosterone, DHEA, growth hormone, antibiotics, hCG infusion, aspirin, enoxaparin/heparin and dopamine agonists) on the success of embryo transfers.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of all embryo transfers between January 2010 and April 2015 from a multi-site IVF clinic.

Should intrauterine human chorionic gonadotropin infusions ever be used prior to embryo transfer?

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the factors that influence the outcome of intrauterine human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) infusion at the time of embryo transfer (ET), in particular, the effect of hCG infusions on fresh and frozen embryo transfers (FETs) and whether prior recurrent implantation failure (RIF) impacts upon outcomes.

Method: This was a case-control study based on a standardized database from a multi-site in vitro fertilization clinic. The analysis contains 458 cases and 749 matched controls, with an intervention group of those given intrauterine hCG prior to ET and a control group of patients receiving no hCG infusion.

The success rate of IVF has significantly improved over the last decade.

Aim: To demonstrate that success rates with in vitro fertilisation (IVF) have been improving despite decreasing the number of embryos transferred.

Materials And Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study comparing live birth outcomes for women who started IVF between 2001 and 2005 with women who started between 2006 and 2010, using life table analysis to allow for the fact that women had differing number of cycles of treatment. The data were obtained from a single IVF centre, Monash IVF Geelong, Victoria.

Can you ever collect too many oocytes?

Study Question: Does the chance of pregnancy keep improving with increasing number of oocytes, or can you collect too many?

Summary Answer: Clinical pregnancy (CP) and live birth (LB) rates per embryo transfer varied from 10.2 and 9.2% following one oocyte collected to 37.

Outcome of pregnancies achieved by in vitro fertilisation techniques and diagnosed as twins at the 6 week ultrasound.

Background: To bring the success rate of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedures to an acceptable level, multiple embryos have historically been replaced. This has resulted in an 'epidemic' of multiple births. The pendulum has now swung full circle and the number of embryos transferred is now being limited.

Replacement of one selected embryo is just as successful as two embryo transfer, without the risk of twin pregnancy.

The transition of in vitro fertilization from research to standard clinical practice has, to a great extent, been as a result of the use of controlled ovarian hyper stimulation. A disadvantage of the availability of multiple embryos has been the replacement of several embryos leading to an epidemic of multiple pregnancies. This retrospective review of 2606 fresh embryo transfers between 2001 and 2003, where either one or two selected embryos were replaced from an available cohort of at least four, shows that single embryo transfers have a similar pregnancy rate without the risk of multiple pregnancy.

What is the most relevant standard of success in assisted reproduction? The singleton, term gestation, live birth rate per cycle initiated: the BESST endpoint for assisted reproduction.

Assisted reproduction programmes do not report success consistently. Rates vary with the definition used. Success must reflect delivery of healthy babies, and the burden of treatment to couples.