IVF funding cuts spark access concerns

The number of publicly funded IVF cycles dropped by nearly 14 percent this financial year in the UK, an investigation by the GP magazine Pulse has revealed...[Read More]

Rise in 'selective reproduction' due to increase in IVF, experts say

There has been a rise in the number of British women choosing to give birth to fewer children following multiple pregnancy, leading to renewed calls for restrictions on the number of embryos implanted during IVF....[Read More]

IVF 'twins' born five years apart

Five-year-old Reuben Blake has already started school, but his twin sister Floren, conceived during the same IVF treatment cycle, has only just been born...[Read More]

Progress Educational Trust Conference: Growing Concern?

The consequences of assisted reproductive technology (ART) are a matter of great concern, whether this is the development of the embryo, the perinatal health of the mother, or the ongoing health of the child....[Read More]

IVF treatment rises six percent in a year

There was a six percent rise last year in the number of fertility treatments carried out in the UK, according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)...[Read More]

One Parent or Five – more of the same from the Commission on Parenthood's Future

'One Parent or Five: A global look at today's new intentional families' is the latest report from the Commission on Parenthood's Future (1). Authored by 'scholar Elizabeth Marquardt, a recognized family expert', it claims to offer 'the first-ever systematic critique of the concept of intentional parenthood [by] providing a global tour of today's new intentional families...[Read More]

A private sperm donor writes...

A shortfall in donated sperm, we are told, has pushed potential recipients onto websites where private sperm donors hawk their reproductive wares. If only the officially sanctioned sperm banks were well stocked, the thinking goes, women would not have to venture into that murky world. But is that correct? What if sperm donation outside the official channels actually carried certain advantages over the clinic system...[Read More]

Scientists discover how the egg catches the sperm

Researchers have discovered a molecule present on the outer surface of a human egg that binds sperm and eggs together before fertilisation. Understanding this mechanism may help people with previously unexplained fertility problems...[Read More]

TV Review: Bang Goes the Theory

'Bang goes the theory' is a TV show that aims to bring science to the masses by 'putting science and technology to the test'. It tries to achieve this with the aid of four fairly young enthusiastic presenters and a fast-paced style. But did the show achieve its aim with IVF?...[Read More]

HFEA sets targets for multiple births to 15 percent

The maximum rate for multiple births following IVF treatment in fertility centres has been set by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) at 15 percent....[Read More]

PCB pollutants linked to IVF failure, study suggests

High levels of toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a man-made organic chemical associated with adverse health reactions in humans, in the blood may contribute to embryos failing to implant during IVF, say researchers....[Read More]

IVF clinics to inform patients about birth defect risks

Clinics should warn patients about the increased risk of birth defects for children conceived using fertility treatment, say the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)....[Read More]

We need a code of practice for cross-border reproductive care

Cross-border reproductive care is becoming more widespread, but is fraught with safety concerns. We at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) have no objection to patients seeking reproductive treatments outside their home country. But to protect patient safety, we believe there should be a Code of Practice (COP) to protect patients, donors and potential surrogates...[Read More]

Professor Robert Edwards awarded Nobel Prize for pioneering work in IVF

British scientist Professor Robert Edwards, 85, has been awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in medicine for his ground-breaking IVF work...[Read More]

Goodbye BioNews, and thanks

It feels very strange to no longer be a BioNews editor, having been doing this for the best part of the last ten years and having been associated with Progress Educational Trust (PET) for even longer than that. For one thing, I'm not entirely sure yet what I'm going to do with my Mondays....[Read More]

Assisted reproduction could lead to increased risks of congenital malformations, say scientists

The risk of congenital malformations is increased in children born through assisted reproductive technology (ART), such as IVF or ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), researchers report today at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Genetics....[Read More]

IVF becoming more efficient than sex in the over-30's

IVF could become the routine method of conception for 30-40 year olds within a decade, scientists predict...[Read More]

Study shows preimplantation screening is safe for singletons

The first large-scale study of genetic screening of embryos before implantation, published in January's issue of the journal Human Reproduction, has shown that the procedures used are safe for children born in single pregnancies....[Read More]

A link between male infertility and epigenetic disorders in ART babies?

The aim of assisted reproductive technology (ART) is to achieve a single most important goal, the birth of a healthy child. ART is responsible for the birth of over 200,000 children each year worldwide. In the most common form of infertility treatment - in vitro fertilisation IVF), - the woman's eggs are collected and then combined with the man's sperm in a petri dish. The successfully fertilised eggs are then transferred into the woman's womb. In ...[Read More]

Sperm linked to ART-related genetic disorders

Mutations in sperm used for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be responsible for causing the rare genetic disorders associated with these techniques...[Read More]