Fertility Science Fiction or Science Fact?

Even in the already cutting-edge world of fertility treatment, there are some pretty wild experimental procedures out there. Let’s take a peek at five of them:

1. Third party IVF – Is it possible to have three genetic parents? British researchers are looking at combining the mother’s nuclear DNA with a donor egg that contributes the mitochondrial DNA (in cases where the mother might pass mitochondrial disorder on to her baby). There’s currently an ethical firestorm raging over this one.

2. Ovarian drilling – This laparoscopic surgery literally makes holes in ovaries afflicted with PCOS to reduce their overproduction of testosterone, normalizing menstrual cycles and improving the odds of pregnancy. Risks include organ damage, internal bleeding, and the formation of adhesions (scar tissue) that make conception even more difficult than before.

3. IVIG – Intravenous immunoglobulin is traditionally administered to people with autoimmune diseases, but some clinics are experimenting with it as a means of preventing miscarriages. The idea is that some women’s immune systems are hypersensitive and reject the embryo shortly after implantation.

4. In vitro maturation – This odd procedure involves removing eggs before they have fully matured, maturing them in the lab, and then fertilizing and implanting them. Research indicates that this can result in larger-than-normal babies, along with longer gestation times, higher miscarriage rates and higher incidence of C-sections.

5. Natural cycle IVF – Natural cycle IVF foregoes the medications used in traditional IVF for boosting ovarian activity, instead monitoring the woman’s natural cycle closely and retrieving the egg at just the right moment for fertilization in the lab. This eliminates the chance of multiple births.

Just the Facts, Ma’am

Rest assured that Dr. Gehlbach offers proven treatments, not science experiments! Contact Midwest Reproductive Center to learn more about our tried and true IVF procedures.