Prolific private sperm donor arrested on charges of sexual assault

A man who claims to have fathered 49 children as a private sperm donor has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault... [Read More]

Motor neurone disease stem cell trial advances to next phase

A neural stem cell therapy aimed at treating the symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is set to advance in the USA, after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave its approval for it to proceed to the next stage of clinical trials... [Read More]

New Zealand needs a genuinely pro-choice approach to prenatal screening

Being a bioethicist in the Antipodes is becoming a dangerous business these days. Just over a year ago, the publication, by two Australian academics, of a paper exploring the acceptability of 'post-birth abortion' led to media furore, hate mail and even death threats to the authors... [Read More]

TV Review: Shrinking My 17 Stone Legs

The stump of Mandy's amputated left leg is one metre in circumference, the size of an old vinyl record. Mandy Sellars has a rare genetic condition that meant her legs continued to grow after the rest of her body stopped... [Read More]

US surrogacy dispute: surrogate refuses to abort at genetic parents' request

A surrogate mother in the United States, who refused an abortion at the intended parents' request after a scan revealed abnormalities, has told CNN news that she was offered money to terminate the fetus and was threatened with legal action.... [Read More]

The mother isn't always certain: Irish surrogacy case leads the way

Once upon a time, motherhood was certain. It was proved by giving birth. The Latin maxim 'mater semper certa est' that told us so was irrefutable. Whether or not that was ever actually true, it has for a long while been biologically, as well as socially, questionable.... [Read More]

Ireland: Genetic mother wins surrogacy case

The Irish High Court has ruled in a landmark case that a woman who is the genetic mother of twins born through a surrogate can be recognised as the legal mother of the children.... [Read More]

Policing preimplantation genetic diagnosis: patients first please

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority recently announced plans to review the list of approved inherited conditions for which preimplantation genetic diagnosis is currently licensed to ensure that it is only available for conditions which meet the statutory requirements in the UK... [Read More]

Event Review: Futures in Reproduction

In 2010, Professor Sir Robert Edwards was awarded a long overdue Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, for his the part he played in pioneering both the theory and practice of IVF. This conference focused on the kind of cutting-edge research that takes Professor Edwards' legacy forward... [Read More]

Non-invasive prenatal test as good as invasive methods, say scientists

US biotech company Verinata Health has reported sequencing fetal DNA taken from pregnant women's blood to test for genetic abnormalities... [Read More]

Weighing up your options: the impact of weight and nutrition

I had a front row seat for session three of Progress Educational Trust's 2012 annual conference 'Fertility Treatment: A life-changing event?'. This session was entitled 'Weighing up your options: The impact of weight and nutrition'... [Read More]

Improved prenatal test may better detect genetic diseases

More sensitive prenatal testing of fetal DNA could improve the detection of genetic diseases, studies find... [Read More]

Non-invasive prenatal test for at-risk mothers recommended by US medical society

Non-invasive pre-natal screening for certain abnormalities in fetal chromosomes should be offered to at-risks mothers, recommends the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists... [Read More]

Woman dies after rare complication following IVF

A man is suing Barts and the London NHS Trust after his wife died from a rare complication while undergoing IVF treatment, reports the Mirror.... [Read More]

Male DNA found in women's brains

The presence of male DNA in female brains is fairly common, scientists have found, and likely originates from cells of a male fetus crossing into the mother during pregnancy. The implications of the phenomenon for health and disease remain uncertain... [Read More]

Sperm smuggling and fatherhood from behind bars

The recent news reports that Ammar Zibden, a Palestinian imprisoned in Israel, has managed to smuggle his sperm out of prison and become a father highlight a number of problematic issues... [Read More]

Book Review: Embryology at a Glance

Most of us, at one point in our lives, have wondered, 'where did I come from?'. The answer we receive differs from one perspective to another. Biologists would most likely recount the complex and intriguing journey of embryology... [Read More]

'Super-fertility' to blame for some recurrent miscarriages, study suggests

Women who repeatedly reject pregnancies may be 'too good' at carrying, research indicates... [Read More]

Genome sequencing method promises higher accuracy with less DNA

Technology that relies on less DNA to more accurately sequence people's genomes has been unveiled by a US biotech company... [Read More]

IVF single embryo transfers have better chance of survival

Single embryo transfer reduces the risk of death within a month of birth for babies conceived via IVF, according to an Australian study... [Read More]