IVF > News

News: UK fertility laws to be reviewed The UK's Department of Health (DH) is to invite views on the way that some assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are regulated in the UK. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 15 August 2005

News: HFEA to consult on use of PGD for late-onset diseases The UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is to issue a public consultation on the use of preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) for late-onset and 'lower penetrance' genetic disorders. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 15 August 2005

News: IVF babies more likely to be premature According to a study reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, twins conceived through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) are more likely to be born prematurely and delivered by Caesarean than those conceived through sexual intercourse. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 08 August 2005

News: New eggs from bone marrow stem cells? Bone marrow stem cells can produce new eggs in adult mice, US researchers say. A team based at Massachusetts General Hospital has shown that the eggs of mice rendered sterile with a drug can regenerate within 24 hours, and that these germ cells originate from bone marrow. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 03 August 2005

News: HFEA to consider single embryo limit The UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is to review its rules on how many embryos can be implanted during IVF treatments. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 30 July 2005

Article: From here to paternity: older fathers and sperm donation The eighth child of Charlie Chaplin was born when he was 73 and as far as we know has lived a healthy life. However, whilst most men remain fertile into their old age, it has long been recognised that to father children later in life increases the risk of their being born with a variety of conditions such as Down syndrome, achondroplasia and even schizophrenia. Dr Allan Pacey, Senior Lecturer in Andrology, University of Sheffield 28 July 2005

News: 'Fresh' eggs wanted for cloning Professor Ian Wilmut, the pioneering creator of Dolly the sheep, is seeking permission from the UK's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to ask women to donate eggs for cloning experiments in his work on motor neurone disease. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 28 July 2005

News: Older father link to birth defects The risk of having a child born with certain congenital problems may increase with the father's age, US and Danish researchers say. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 23 July 2005

News: Oestrogen receptor link to infertility Some women may not respond to fertility drugs if they lack a certain oestrogen-related gene, according to a new study on mice. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 23 July 2005

News: Testicular cancer patients remain fertile The majority of testicular cancer patients are able to go on to father children, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Cancer. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 23 July 2005

News: Some UK health trusts refusing to fund IVF Despite government promises to end the 'postcode lottery' of the provision of fertility treatment in the UK, ten primary care trusts (PCTs) of the UK's National Health Service (NHS) have said they will refuse to fund IVF treatments at present. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 23 July 2005

News: 'Saviour sibling' born to Fletcher family A Belfast woman has given birth to the first 'saviour sibling' conceived in the UK: a baby girl who could help treat her seriously ill three-year-old brother. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 23 July 2005

News: Embryos tested for haemophilia gene mutation UK scientists have used preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to help a couple conceive a baby unaffected by haemophilia, a serious inherited blood clotting disorder. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 18 July 2005

News: Woman gives birth after embryo frozen for 13 years A baby girl who spent 13 years as an embryo frozen at -235C has been born in California. The birth of Laina Beasley set a new medical record in fertility treatment, as the longest time an embryo has been frozen and born healthy. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 09 July 2005

Announcement: Serono Symposia International 2005 events Here is the list of Serono Symposia activities that will be taking place in Autumn 2005. Simon Basten 08 July 2005

News: Second frozen ovary transplant birth An Israeli woman has given birth to a healthy baby girl after undergoing an ovarian tissue transplant, following cancer treatment that left her infertile. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 02 July 2005

News: Fertility predictor test for cancer patients Doctors in Scotland have come up with a way of predicting when a woman may become sterile after undergoing radiation therapy as part of cancer treatment, according to a study published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 02 July 2005

News: Woman receives damages for stroke caused by IVF A UK woman left brain-damaged after a stroke caused by a rare side effect of IVF treatment is set to receive 'very substantial' agreed damages. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 02 July 2005

News: Concern over proposed prenatal screening changes New recommendations for prenatal screening programmes to detect Down syndrome could lead to some chromosome abnormalities being missed, UK researchers say. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 02 July 2005

News: Gene 'profile' linked to extended fertility ESHRE conference, Copenhagen: The ability of some women to conceive naturally after the age of 45 could be down to genetic differences, Israeli researchers say. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 27 June 2005

News: Only one genetic imprinting disorder linked to ARTs ESHRE conference, Copenhagen: Beckwith-Wiedermann syndrome (BWS) is the only rare genetic 'imprinting' disorder linked to the use of assisted reproduction techniques (ARTs), according to the results of the largest study carried out to date. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 27 June 2005

News: Soya products may affect sperm ESHRE conference, Copenhagen: A British scientist has claimed that eating some foods may affect a woman's chance of getting pregnant, because chemicals in them affect the ability of sperm to fertilise an egg. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 27 June 2005

News: ICSI more common than IVF in Europe, children more intelligent ESHRE conference, Copenhagen: The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) has shown that, for the first time, the use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has overtaken normal IVF procedures as a method of treating infertility in Europe. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 27 June 2005

News: Efficacy of ART improving across Euro ESHRE conference, Copenhagen: Data presented at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) has shown that the quality and effectiveness of assisted human reproduction technologies (ARTs) across Europe is improving year on year. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 27 June 2005

News: Infertility on the rise in Europe ESHRE conference, Copenhagen: A British scientist has issued a warning about fertility, saying that the way modern Europeans live their lives may have devastating effects on their ability to reproduce without assistance. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 27 June 2005

News: The fate of frozen embryos under the Italian fertility law ESHRE conference, Copenhagen: A presentation given at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) shows what effects restrictive Italian fertility laws, which came into force on 10 March 2004, have had on people's choices about their frozen embryos. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 27 June 2005

News: ICSI success rates have declined in Italy since new law ESHRE conference, Copenhagen: A presentation given at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) shows what clinical effects restrictive Italian fertility laws, which came into force on 10 March 2004, have had on success rates - both in the laboratory and the clinic - of treatment by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Dr. Kirsty Horsey 27 June 2005

News: More evidence for benefits of single embryo transfer ESHRE conference, Copenhagen: IVF babies born after single embryo transfer (SET) are healthier than those born after more than one embryo is transferred, say researchers, in two studies presented at the annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Copenhagen this week. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 27 June 2005

News: Eggs and sperm from human ES cells? ESHRE conference, Copenhagen: Human embryonic stem (ES) cells may be capable of growing into egg and sperm cells in the laboratory, UK scientists say. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 27 June 2005

News: Reproductive tourism should be seen as a 'safety valve' ESHRE conference, Copenhagen: Guido Pennings, professor of ethics and bioethics at the University of Ghent, Belgium, says that we should not condemn 'reproductive tourism' in Europe but regard it as a 'safety valve' that can help to avoid moral conflict. Dr. Kirsty Horsey 27 June 2005