welcome to my channel health for you Assisted conception IUI and IVF
The following methods are currently available for assisted conception.
IUI (intrauterine insemination) A fine catheter is inserted through the cervix
into the uterus to place a sperm sample directly into the uterus. The sperm is washed in a
fluid and the best specimens are selected. This procedure must be done when ovulation
occurs. The woman may be given a low dose of ovary stimulating hormones.
IUI is more commonly done when the man has a low sperm count, decreased sperm motility,
or when infertility does not have an identifiable cause. The procedure is also helpful for males
suffering from severe erectile dysfunction. IVF (in vitro fertilization)
IVF in action
Sperm are placed with unfertilized eggs in a Petri dish; the aim is fertilization of
the eggs. The embryo is then placed in the uterus to begin a pregnancy. Sometimes the
embryo is frozen for future use (cryopreserved). Louise Joy Brown, born in England in 1978,
was the world's first IVF baby. Before IVF is done the female takes fertility drugs to
encourage the ovaries to produce more eggs than normal.
Time-lapse imaging triples the chances of having a baby for couples undergoing IVF treatment,
researchers reported in Reproductive BioMedicine Online (May 2013 issue). Described as a "major
breakthrough", time-lapse imaging became available in 2013 in the UK for monitoring the development
of IVF embryos before they are implanted in the womb.
In an Abstract in the journal, the authors wrote "Time-lapse imaging of human preimplantation
IVF embryos has enabled objective algorithms based on novel observations of development
(morphokinetics) to be used for clinical selection of embryos."
With this new technique, the scientists could develop a way of accurately identifying which
embryos are more likely to have aneuploidy (abnormal chromosomes). Embryos with aneuploidy
are much less likely to be successfully implanted. The researchers, from CARE Fertility, said
further large-scale studies are needed to confirm their findings.
Researchers from Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Canada, reported in CMAJ that IVF is more
successful if the woman has sufficient levels of vitamin D.
A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM) found that
women who are deficient in vitamin D are half as likely to conceive using IVF compared with
women without vitamin D deficiency. ICSI (Intracytoplasmic sperm injection)
A single sperm is injected into an egg to achieve fertilization during an IVF procedure.
The likelihood of fertilization improves significantly for men with low sperm concentrations.
Donation of sperm or egg If there is either no sperm or egg in one
of the partners it is possible to receive sperm or eggs from a donor. Fertility treatment
with donor eggs is usually done using IVF. In the UK and a growing number of countries
the egg donor can no longer remain anonymous - the offspring can legally trace his/her
biological parent when reaching the age of 18.