Reproductive biomedicine online
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Reprod. Biomed. Online · Feb 2014
Review Meta AnalysisHysteroscopy prior to the first IVF cycle: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the use of routine hysteroscopy prior to starting the first IVF cycle on treatment outcome in asymptomatic women. Searches were conducted on MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, National Research Register and ISI Conference Proceedings. The main outcome measures were clinical pregnancy and live birth rates achieved in the index IVF cycle. ⋯ Hysteroscopy in asymptomatic woman prior to their first IVF cycle was found to be associated with improved chance of achieving a pregnancy and live birth when performed just before commencing the IVF cycle. The procedure was safe. Larger studies are still required to confirm our findings.
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Reprod. Biomed. Online · Feb 2014
Fresh transfer outcome predicts the success of a subsequent frozen transfer utilizing blastocysts of the same cohort.
The objective of this retrospective analysis was to assess whether the outcomes of fresh blastocyst transfer cycles are predictive of the chances for pregnancy and live birth in subsequent frozen blastocyst transfer cycles using sibling embryos from the same retrieval. Clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) and live birth rate (LBR) per fresh and frozen blastocyst transfer were assessed. All subgroups had similar patient and cycle characteristics. ⋯ Few studies have carefully examined the impact of the result of the fresh embryo transfer (whether the patient became pregnant or not) on subsequent frozen embryo transfer success. Here we show that women who are not pregnant after a fresh embryo transfer have higher success rates in subsequent frozen embryo transfer cycles that use frozen embryos generated during a single IVF cycle. In these women (not pregnant after a fresh embryo transfer), frozen embryo transfer pregnancy rates are the same as rates using fresh embryos.
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Reprod. Biomed. Online · Oct 2013
Association of allelic combinations of FSHR gene polymorphisms with ovarian response.
During an IVF protocol, exogenous FSH is administered to women for ovulation induction. The ovarian response to gonadotrophin stimulation is variable and unpredictable in these women. The FSHR is the most studied gene in relation to ovarian response. ⋯ FSHR expression at the transcript level was observed to be significantly lower in women with A/A-Asn/Asn genotype as compared to women with G/G-Asn/Ser genotype. We also observed that women with A/A-Ser/Ser genotype were not present in the study population. These findings indicate the significance of A/A-Asn/Asn genotype as a predictive marker for poor ovarian response to FSH stimulation.
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Reprod. Biomed. Online · May 2013
Avoiding currently unavoidable conflicts of interest in medical publishing by transparent peer review.
The medical literature frequently addresses potential conflicts of interest, involving scientists and authors. Conflicts involving editorial offices of medical journals, have, however, only rarely been subject to discussion. ⋯ This commentary, therefore, argues in favour of changes in peer review. Improved and more transparent peer review will quite automatically avoid most potential conflicts of interest in medical publishing, including those currently widely considered unavoidable.
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Reprod. Biomed. Online · Feb 2013
ReviewDo assisted-reproduction twin pregnancies require additional antenatal care?
Iatrogenic twinning has become the main side-effect assisted reproduction treatment. We have evaluated the evidence for additional care that assisted-reproduction twins may require compared with spontaneous twins. Misacarriages are increased in women with tubal problems and after specific treatments. ⋯ Overall, our review indicates that some antenatal complications are more frequent in assisted-conception twin pregnancies than in spontaneous twin pregnancies but their prevalence is low and thus their impact on the morbidity and mortality of an individual assisted-conception twin pregnancy is limited. Assisted reproduction treatment has become available to older women with pre-existing maternal medical conditions such as chronic hypertension and diabetes. The increased obstetrical risks in this population must be considered prior to attempts at assisted conception, and the transfer of more than one embryo should be avoided in women with a pre-existing maternal medical condition.