Giving birth to IVM babies more difficult, study finds

Babies born after in vitro maturation of ooctyes (IVM), an assisted reproductive technology (ART), seem to be larger and to have more complicated births. Researchers led by Dr Peter Sjöblom from Nottingham University's NURTURE IVF clinic found the average birth weight of 165 IVM babies was six to nine per cent higher than babies conceived by IVF/ICSI. The IVM babies' birth weights were also 0.3 to six per cent higher than the national average for singleton births...[Read More]

'Genetic Interest Group' changes name to 'Genetic Alliance UK'

The UK's 'Genetic Interest Group' (GIG), a national charity representing individuals with genetic conditions, today became the 'Genetic Alliance UK'...[Read More]

Children with genetic disorder lack racial prejudices

Children with a rare genetic disorder called Williams syndrome lack normal social fear and appear to have no racial biases, according to German and French researchers. The study is the first to report the absence of racial stereotyping in any human population, according to study co-author Professor Meyer-Lindenberg...[Read More]

Gene variant linked to pain sensitivity

A common gene variant has been linked to differences in pain sensitivity, according to a new study by scientists based at Cambridge University. The finding could help to explain why people have different pain thresholds and might help in the search for effective pain killers with tolerable side effects....[Read More]

Asda to offer cut-price IVF drugs

The UK supermarket chain Asda is to become the first to sell IVF drugs without profit, saving patients up to £820 per treatment cycle. The move is part of the retailer's bid to become the most competitive pharmacy in the UK....[Read More]

IVF technique is overused, says its inventor

An IVF technique whereby fertilisation is achieved by injecting an individual sperm into an egg cell is being overused and may pass on infertility to the next generation, the scientist who developed the technique has warned...[Read More]

Low-cost DNA test could be available soon

A fast, low cost DNA test that can reveal a person's chances of developing certain inherited diseases could soon be a reality, scientists in Scotland have said. The test involves testing a patient's saliva to identify disease-related variations in their genetic code and is faster and cheaper than conventional methods, according to the study published in the journal Angewandte Chemie....[Read More]

'Age is not a contraceptive', warn fertility experts

The UK's Family Planning Association (FPA) has launched a new campaign, entitled 'Conceivable?', to warn women over 35 that age alone is not a reliable contraceptive...[Read More]

Is stem cell research being sabotaged by a 'clique'?

14 of the world's leading stem cell researchers have expressed concern that truly innovative research may be being suppressed by a small clique of peer reviewers who are intentionally hampering competitor's work from being published in high profile journals. In July last year they sent an open letter to a number of editors of major peer-reviewed journals publishing in the field of stem cell biology. Frustrated by the lack of response two leading stem cell researchers, Professor...[Read More]

Study shows rapid decline in women's eggs after 30

The first study to chart the fate of a woman's supply of eggs from conception to the menopause, carried out by researchers of the University of St Andrews and Edinburgh University, UK, shows that the average 30-year-old woman will have just 12 per cent of her original ovarian 'store' of eggs left. The study, published in the journal PLoS ONE, also shows that by the age of 40, only three per cent of the estimated two million eggs a woman is born with are left. The rapid decrease...[Read More]