Prospective reproductive outcomes according to sperm parameters, including DNA fragmentation in recurrent pregnancy loss

Posted on March 5, 2024January 23, 2024 by Yiannis

Are the prospective reproductive outcomes in RPL couples related to sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) measured by SCSA, morphology and concentration at referral?

Design

A prospective cohort study including 95 couples seen between 01/04/2018 and 01/12/2019 at the tertiary Copenhagen RPL Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet and Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark. The couples had experienced three or more unexplained consecutive pregnancy losses (PLs) or two late PLs (>12 weeks gestation) Follow-up was 12-31 months.

Results

Eighty-one of 95 couples (85.3%) achieved a pregnancy after referral. In the first pregnancy, 46 couples (56.8%) achieved a live birth, and 35 (43.2%) experienced another PL. There was no significant difference in baseline DFI between couples who experienced a pregnancy loss (median 11.7, IQR 9.1–17.3) and couples who had a live birth (median 12.5, IQR 9.1–16.5, p=0.971). Improving sperm morphology increased the odds of live birth after referral (aOR=1.26, 95%CI 1.05-1.52, p=0.014). DFI and sperm concentration were not associated with the outcome of the first pregnancy. Overall, 35.9 % of the men had DFI>15 at inclusion. Couples who failed to achieve pregnancy had a higher median DFI of 17.7 (IQR 7.7-27.2) compared with the rest of the cohort (median 12.0, IQR 9.3-16.5, p=0.041).

Conclusions

At referral, sperm DFI (SCSA assay), morphology and concentration cannot be used to identify RPL couples at risk of another PL. Increased baseline DFI was associated with difficulty to achieve another pregnancy and improving sperm morphology was associated with increased odds of live birth.

Prospective reproductive outcomes according to sperm parameters, including DNA fragmentation in recurrent pregnancy loss – Reproductive BioMedicine Online (rbmojournal.com)

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Nutritional supplements and IVF: an evidence-based approach

Posted on January 10, 2024January 23, 2024 by Yiannis

Many women undergoing IVF take supplements during treatment. The purpose of this review was to systematically review these nutritional supplements.

The therapies studied are dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), melatonin, co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ1O), carnitine, selenium, vitamin D, myo-inositol, omega-3, Chinese herbs and dietary interventions. A literature search up to May 2023 was undertaken. The data suggest that a simple nutritional approach would be to adopt a Mediterranean diet. With regards to supplements to treat a potential poor ovarian response to ovarian stimulation, starting DHEA and COQ-10 before cycle commencement is better than control therapies. Furthermore, medication with CoQ10 may have some merit, although it is unclear whether its place is for older women, for those with a poor response to ovarian stimulation or for poor embryonic development. There appears a benefit for some IVF outcomes for the use of melatonin, although it is unclear what group of patients would derive the benefit and the appropriate dosing regimen.

For women with polycystic ovary syndrome, there may be a benefit to the use of myo-inositol, although again the dosing regimen is unclear. Furthermore, the place of vitamin D supplementation has yet to be clarified, and supplementation with omega-3 free fatty acids may lead to improvements in clinical and embryological IVF outcomes.

Nutritional supplements and IVF: an evidence-based approach – Reproductive BioMedicine Online (rbmojournal.com)

AI model predicts fetal birth weight before delivery

Posted on December 5, 2023January 23, 2024 by Yiannis

Accurate prediction of fetal weight at birth is essential for effective perinatal care, particularly in the context of antenatal management, which involves determining the timing and mode of delivery. The current standard of care involves performing a prenatal ultrasound 24 hours prior to delivery. However, this task presents challenges as it requires acquiring high-quality images, which becomes difficult during advanced pregnancy due to the lack of amniotic fluid.

This paper presents a novel method that automatically predicts fetal birth weight by using fetal ultrasound video scans and clinical data. The proposed method is based on a Transformer-based approach that combines a Residual Transformer Module with a Dynamic Affine Feature Map Transform. This method leverages tabular clinical data to evaluate 2D + t spatio-temporal features in fetal ultrasound video scans.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010482523010673?via%3Dihub

New study draws link between insecticide exposure and lower sperm concentration in men

Posted on October 8, 2023January 23, 2024 by Yiannis

A team of researchers at the George Mason University College of Public Health as well as Northeastern University in the US have published research indicating a strong link between exposure to common pesticides and lower sperm counts.

“Understanding how insecticides affect sperm concentration in humans is critical given their ubiquity in the environment and documented reproductive hazards,” Lauren Ellis, a doctoral student at Northeastern University involved in the research project, said.

“Insecticides are a concern for public health and all men, who are exposed primarily through the consumption of contaminated food and water,” she added.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010482523010673?via%3Dihub

Human trials of artificial wombs could start soon. Here’s what you need to know

Posted on September 15, 2023January 23, 2024 by Yiannis

US regulators will consider clinical trials of a system that mimics the womb, which could reduce deaths and disability for babies born extremely preterm.

A hairless, pale-skinned lamb lies on its side in what appears to be an oversized sandwich bag filled with hazy fluid. Its eyes are closed, and its snout and limbs jerk as if the animal — which is only about three-quarters of the way through its gestation period — is dreaming.

The lamb was one of eight in a 2017 artificial-womb experiment carried out by researchers at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in Pennsylvania. When the team published its research¹ in April of that year, it released a video of the experiments that spread widely and captured imaginations — for some, evoking science-fiction fantasies of humans being conceived and grown entirely in a laboratory.

Now, the researchers at CHOP are seeking approval for the first human clinical trials of the device they’ve been testing, named the Extra-uterine Environment for Newborn Development, or EXTEND. The team has emphasized that the technology is not intended — or able — to support development from conception to birth. Instead, the scientists hope that simulating some elements of a natural womb will increase survival and improve outcomes for extremely premature babies. In humans, that’s anything earlier than 28 weeks of gestation — less than 70% of the way to full term, which is typically between 37 and 40 weeks.

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02901-1

Childhood BMI after ART with frozen embryo transfer

Posted on July 9, 2023January 23, 2024 by Yiannis

High childhood BMI is strongly associated with obesity and cardiometabolic disease and mortality in adulthood. Children conceived after FET have a higher risk of being born large for gestational age (LGA) than children conceived after NC. It is well-documented that being born LGA is associated with an increased risk of obesity in childhood, and it has been hypothesized that ART induces epigenetic variations around fertilization, implantation, and early embryonic stages, which influence fetal size at birth as well as BMI and health later in life.

The study ‘Health in Childhood following Assisted Reproductive Technology’ (HiCART) is a large retrospective cohort study with 606 singletons aged 7–10 years divided into three groups according to mode of conception: FET (n = 200), fresh-ET (n = 203), and NC (n = 203). All children were born in Eastern Denmark from 2009 to 2013 and the study was conducted from January 2019 to September 2021.

The increased birthweight in children conceived after FET did not translate into differences in BMI, however, for the girls born after FET, we observed increased height (SDS) and weight (SDS) compared to the girls born after NC, while for the boys the results remained insignificant after confounder adjustment. Since body composition in childhood is a strong biomarker of cardiometabolic disease later in life, longitudinal studies of girls and boys born after FET are needed.

Childhood BMI after ART with frozen embryo transfer | Human Reproduction | Oxford Academic (oup.com)

Development of an artificial intelligence based model for predicting the euploidy of blastocysts in PGT-A treatments

Posted on May 6, 2023January 23, 2024 by Yiannis

The euploidy of embryos is unpredictable before transfer in in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments without pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT). Previous studies have suggested that morphokinetic characteristics using an artificial intelligence (AI)-based model in the time-lapse monitoring (TLM) system were correlated with the outcomes of frozen embryo transfer (FET), but the predictive effectiveness of the model for euploidy remains to be perfected.

In this study, we combined morphokinetic characteristics, morphological characteristics of blastocysts, and clinical parameters of patients to build a model to predict the euploidy of blastocysts and live births in PGT for aneuploidy treatments. The model was effective in predicting euploidy (AUC = 0.879) but was ineffective in predicting live birth after FET. These results provide a potential method for the selection of embryos for IVF treatments with non-PGT.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-29319-z.pdf

Machine learning for sperm selection

Posted on March 10, 2023January 23, 2024 by Yiannis

Infertility rates and the number of couples seeking fertility care have increased worldwide over the past few decades. Over 2.5 million cycles of assisted reproductive technologies are being performed globally every year, but the success rate has remained at ~33%.

Machine learning, an automated method of data analysis based on patterns and inference, is increasingly being deployed within the health-care sector to improve diagnostics and therapeutics. This technique is already aiding embryo selection in some fertility clinics, and has also been applied in research laboratories to improve sperm analysis and selection.

Tremendous opportunities exist for machine learning to advance male fertility treatments. The fundamental challenge of sperm selection — selecting the most promising candidate from 108 gametes — presents a challenge that is uniquely well-suited to the high-throughput capabilities of machine learning algorithms paired with modern data processing capabilities.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41585-021-00465-1

Semen parameters on the intracytoplasmic sperm injection day: Predictive values and cutoff thresholds of success

Posted on December 3, 2022January 23, 2024 by Yiannis

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship of semen parameters in samples used for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with fertilization and pregnancy rates in infertile couples.

Methods

In this prospective study of Infertile couples with male factor infertility that had undergone ICSI, fractions of the same semen samples obtained for microinjection (to ensure the best predictability) were evaluated to determine the semen parameters and sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) on the day of oocyte recovery.

Results

In total, 120 couples completed the study and were subdivided into fertilized (n=87) and non-fertilized couples (n=33). The fertilized couples were further classified into pregnant (n=48) and non-pregnant (n=39) couples. Compared to non-fertilized and non-pregnant couples, fertilized and pregnant couples showed statistically significantly higher sperm viability and percentage of normal sperm morphology, as well as significantly lower sperm DFI values. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of data from the 120 ICSI cycles showed that sperm viability, normal sperm morphology percentages, and sperm DFI were significant prognostic indicators of fertilization at cutoff values of 40%, 7%, and 46%, respectively. A sperm DFI of 46% showed sensitivity and specificity of 95% and 90%, respectively, for predicting fertilization, and no clinical pregnancies occurred in couples with a sperm DFI above 46%.

Conclusion

Semen parameters from the ICSI day sample, especially sperm viability, normal morphology, and DFI, had an impact on fertilization and pregnancy outcomes in ICSI cycles.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7943354/

Artificial intelligence in the fertility clinic: status, pitfalls and possibilities

Posted on September 10, 2022January 23, 2024 by Yiannis

In recent years, the amount of data produced in the field of ART has increased exponentially. The diversity of data is large, ranging from videos to tabular data. At the same time, artificial intelligence (AI) is progressively used in medical practice and may become a promising tool to improve success rates with ART. AI models may compensate for the lack of objectivity in several critical procedures in fertility clinics, especially embryo and sperm assessments. Various models have been developed, and even though several of them show promising performance, there are still many challenges to overcome.

In this review, we present recent research on AI in the context of ART. We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the presented methods, especially regarding clinical relevance. We also address the pitfalls hampering successful use of AI in the clinic and discuss future possibilities and important aspects to make AI truly useful for ART.

https://www.fertilitetssenteret.no/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Artificial-intelligence-in-the-fertility-clinic_-status-pitfalls-and-possibilities.pdf

Can artificial intelligence drive optimal sperm selection for in vitro fertilization?

Posted on July 5, 2022January 23, 2024 by Yiannis

Since the late 1990s, the improved accessibility of biomedical data has hastened the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in reproductive medicine. AI can guide optimal clinical management for infertile couples, improving clinical and patient reported outcomes as well as promoting cost-effectiveness. Previously, AI for artificial reproduction has been applied to gamete selection and for predicting the outcomes of in vitro fertilization (IVF). Sperm selection techniques using AI that correlate with fertilization potential and successful IVF cycles are limited.

https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(21)00121-7/pdf

Are sperm parameters able to predict the success of assisted reproductive technology? A retrospective analysis of over 22,000 assisted reproductive technology cycles

Posted on May 8, 2022January 23, 2024 by Yiannis

An explosive increase in couples attending assisted reproductive technology has been recently observed, despite an overall success rate of about 20%–30%. Considering the assisted reproductive technology-related economic and psycho-social costs, the improvement of these percentages is extremely relevant. However, in the identification of predictive markers of assisted reproductive technology success, male parameters are largely underestimated so far.

Materials and methods

All couples attending a single third-level fertility center from 1992 to 2020 were retrospectively enrolled, collecting all semen and assisted reproductive technology parameters of fresh cycles. Fertilization rate was the primary end-point, representing a parameter immediately dependent on male contribution. Pregnancy and live birth rates were considered in relation to semen variables. Statistical analyses were performed using the parameters obtained according to the World Health Organization manual editions used for semen analysis.

Results

Note that, 22,013 in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles were considered. Overall, fertilization rate was significantly lower in patients with abnormal semen parameters compared to normozoospermic men, irrespective of the World Health Organization manual edition. In the in vitro fertilization setting, both progressive motility (p = 0.012) and motility after capacitation (p = 0.002) significantly predicted the fertilization rate (statistical accuracy = 71.1%). Sperm motilities also predicted pregnancy (p < 0.001) and live birth (p = 0.001) rates. In intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles, sperm morphology predicted fertilization rate (p = 0.001, statistical accuracy = 90.3%). Sperm morphology significantly predicted both pregnancy (p < 0.001) and live birth (p < 0.001) rates and a cut-off of 5.5% was identified as a threshold to predict clinical pregnancy (area under the curve = 0.811, p < 0.001).

Discussion

Interestingly, sperm motility plays a role in predicting in vitro fertilization success, while sperm morphology is the relevant parameter in intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles. These parameters may be considered reliable tools to measure the male role on ART outcomes, potentially impacting the clinical management of infertile couples.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/andr.13123

Exposure to chemicals may reduce the size of ovarian reserve and linked to lower egg counts in humans

Posted on January 3, 2022January 3, 2022 by Yiannis

Fertility in women is dependent on ovarian follicles that contain immature oocytes. All follicles are formed during fetal development and should last for the reproductive lifespan of the woman. At most, there are a few million non-growing follicles in the ovaries of the female fetus during mid-gestation, and thereafter, the numbers decrease.

At the onset of puberty, a few hundred thousand follicles remain. Menopause commences when the number of follicles has decreased to a level that cannot sustain the hormonal secretion required for menstrual cycle. On average, the age at the onset of natural menopause is around 50 years. Cessation of menstrual cycles before the age of 40 years is classified as premature ovarian insufficiency.

There are no direct ways of counting the numbers of non-growing follicles present in ovaries in vivo, and therefore, several surrogate markers are used instead. For example, antral follicle count (AFC), serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) are commonly used to estimate ovarian reserve although all these markers relate more directly to growing follicles.

AMH is a growth factor secreted by primary, secondary and small antral follicles up to about 4 mm in diameter. It has become an established biomarker of ovarian reserve due to several advantages over other methods: serum AMH can be easily measured from a single blood sample and the levels do not significantly fluctuate during ovarian cycle. However, AMH also has its limitations. It may fluctuate during the course of pregnancy. While it is mostly used in fertility investigations, AMH does not predict fecundability or other outcomes in the general population. The value of AMH as a biomarker of ovarian reserve in healthy women, and factors affecting its level, still needs more research.

Several reviews have raised concerns about the effects of pervasive exposure to industrial chemicals on reproductive health in women. Major international organizations highlight the need to study chemical disruption of female reproductive system in more detail, including the Endocrine Society, World Health Organization and International Pollutants Elimination Network and the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.

The study cohort consisted of women who underwent elective caesarean section at the Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge. During the period 2015 –2018, there were 145 women who participated in the study. The scientists wanted to focus specifically on fertility in women and investigated associations between chemical exposures and ovarian reserve. Using a cohort of pregnant women undergoing caesarean section, they had a unique opportunity to measure the size of ovarian reserve in two ways: directly by counting the numbers of follicles in biopsied ovarian tissue samples, and indirectly by measuring the level of AMH in serum by retrieving biobanked samples collected during routine first visit for antenatal care.

Concentrations of 31 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were measured in the same serum samples. Collectively, their results confirm the often-reported association of POPs with higher odds for infertility time-to-pregnancy (TTP >12 months) and further suggest that exposure to lipophilic POPs associates with lower ovarian reserve. Although the cohort was relatively small, this encourages to pursue studies on chemicals and germ cell quantity in women in more detail, a topic that has been studied for decades in men.

New evidence identified on safety of IVF embryo screening method

Posted on December 4, 2021December 4, 2021 by Yiannis

Researchers at the University of Kent have identified crucial new evidence on the safety and efficacy of a controversial area of IVF treatment – preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A).

PGT-A is the screening for gross genetic (chromosomal) abnormalities in human IVF embryos with a view to improving IVF success rates and guarding against miscarriage. The UK Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority’s (HFEA) however recently assigned it a “red light” in terms of its safety and efficacy. The current study provides strong evidence for the benefits of PGT-A.
The, researchers used the HFEA’s own 2016-2018 data to examine live birth and other outcomes reported, with and without PGT-A. Statistical analysis of differences between PGT-A and “regular” IVF cycles was performed, grouping by maternal age, the leading known risk factor for chromosome abnormalities.

Data was gathered for nearly 2,500 PGT-A, out of a total of over 190,000 cycles in total. Live Birth Rate per embryo transferred and per treatment cycle was significantly higher for all PGT-A vs regular IVF age groups. In patients aged over 40, the reported live birth rates were 3-11 times greater when using PGT-A compared to regular IVF alone.
There was also a reduced number of transfers per live birth, particularly for women aged over 40, implying patients became pregnant faster if PGT-A was used.
Though the study identified strong evidence-based benefits of PGT-A, it is limited in matching with complete clinical indication information, PGT-A and non PGT-A cohorts.

PGT-A is a controversial process in IVF. Proponents argue that evidence suggests this treatment is effective and safe. Opponents argue that, until randomised clinical trials establish this unequivocally, patients should not be subjected to it; especially as this is a paid-for treatment.
On the basis of a traffic light system designed to assess the suitability of adjunct treatments for IVF, the HFEA previously assigned the process two Red Lights as a treatment whose efficacy and safety had not been established. This was recently changed to one red light.

Darren Griffin, Professor of Genetics at Kent and Lead Author on the paper said: ‘This data will hopefully aid the HFEA in their continual surveillance of the “Red traffic light” guidance that currently states there is no evidence that PGT-A is effective or safe. The guidance could be revised in the light of this new data for patient benefit. I appreciate the collegial way in which the HFEA have assisted in providing this data and their open-mindedness to the prospect of revisiting their guidance and traffic light system.’

Source: Obs Gynae &Midwifery News

Intake of red meat, either as processed or unprocessed, is a major culprit in promoting endometriosis risk

Posted on November 8, 2021December 4, 2021 by Yiannis

Endometriosis is an estrogen-dependent chronic gynecologic disorder that significantly reduces the quality of life of affected women. Characterized by adhesions of endometrial fragments in extra-uterine sites (predominantly in the peritoneal cavity and ovary but occasionally on the diaphragm, liver, and abdominal wall), the condition occurs in ~10% of the general population and is associated with infertility, pelvic pain, and increased risks for ovarian and other cancers.

Our understanding of its etiology and complex, multi-factorial origins remains inadequate. Moreover, its asymptomatic nature at the early stages can significantly delay clinical diagnosis. Treatment options are currently limited to hormonal therapy or surgical management; however, these methods are non-curative, may not align with women’s reproductive goals, and frequently lead to recurrence after cessation of treatment. Delineating the factors that contribute to lesion development and progression is key to providing opportunities for prevention and more efficacious therapeutic interventions.

Diet is a leading risk factor for many chronic diseases. The linkage between diet and endometriosis, summarized in a recent review, underscores the ability of anti-inflammatory components present in foods to mitigate endometriosis. Nevertheless, there are certain caveats to consider. Read more:

What do you think about “stop eating red meat”?

Doing more with less: Sperm without a fully active tail move faster and more efficiently

Posted on September 5, 2021December 4, 2021 by Yiannis

Sperm cells moving their long tail to swim through the body in search of an egg is a familiar image, but a fully ‘powered’ tail may not be the key to success, according to a new UK study which could be crucial for improving the outcomes of assisted fertility treatments.

Propulsion of sperm and how the cell uses its tail to move through the thick fluids of the reproductive tract to reach and fertilise an egg has been well studied. However, the role of the specific parts of the tail, including the inactive area at the very tip, which it is thought, lacks the structure needed to generate motor activity, remains unclear.

A multi-disciplinary team of mathematicians and scientists from the University of Birmingham used mathematical simulations to analyse the effect that this inactive region has on the overall movement of the sperm and how this contributes to the speed and efficiency of the cell’s motility. The study is the first modelling simulation study to investigate the detailed effects of this area, which measures just 3 microns – or 25 times smaller than the width of a human hair.

Results showed that instead of hindering the cell, the inactive region at the end of the tail actually enables faster and more efficient swimming. Simulations showed as much as a 430% increase in efficiency and a 70% increase in velocity in sperm cells with an inactive end region of the tail compared with cells where the tail was fully active. It is thought that the research could offer key insights into what enables a sperm cell to function.

Is there any seasonal pattern to fecundability? When is most likely for babies to be conceived?

Posted on July 27, 2021December 14, 2021 by Yiannis

In human populations, there are strong seasonal patterns of births that vary across geographic regions and time periods. However, previous studies of seasonality and fecundity are limited because they examine season of birth rather than season of conception and therefore neglect to account for seasonal variation in initiating attempts to conceive or pregnancy loss or differences in gestational length.

The scientists conducted a preconception cohort study of 14.331 women residing in North America. Participants were attempting to conceive without fertility treatment and had been attempting pregnancy for ≤6 menstrual cycles at enrolment. They collected information on season of each pregnancy attempt using last menstrual period dates over the study period. Pregnancy was reported on female bi-monthly follow-up questionnaires. They fit log-binomial models with trigonometric regression to examine periodic variation in fecundability. They accounted for seasonal variation in initiation of pregnancy attempts by including indicator variables for menstrual cycle of attempt in the regression models.

According to the results the initiation of pregnancy attempts peaked in September, with stronger seasonality in North America than in Denmark (48 vs. 16% higher probability initiating attempts in September compared with March). After accounting for seasonal variation in initiation of pregnancy attempts, they observed modest seasonal variation in fecundability, with a peak in the late fall and early winter in both cohorts, but stronger peak/low ratios in North America (1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05, 1.28) than in Denmark (1.08; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.16). When they stratified the North American data by latitude, they observed the strongest seasonal variation in the southern USA (peak/low ratio of 1.45 [95% CI: 1.14, 1.84]), with peak fecundability in late November.

An understanding of how fecundability varies across seasons could help identify factors that can impair reproductive function. Neglecting to account for seasonal variation in initiation of pregnancy attempts could bias estimates of seasonal patterns in fecundability. This is the first preconception cohort study to examine seasonal variation in fecundability after accounting for seasonality in initiation of pregnancy attempts. Fecundability was highest in the fall and lowest in the spring, with stronger effects in southern latitudes of North America, suggesting that seasonal exposures may affect fecundity.

What do you think about “Trying a different season to conceive”?

WiFi may Cause Infertility

Posted on May 16, 2021December 14, 2021 by Yiannis

Dangerous levels of microwave radiation from Wi-Fi and other devices were discovered in school classrooms in Ontario as measured by students from Peel District School Board. The radiation levels found were strong enough to cause infertility problems.

WiFi may cause infertility problems

The students organized an open meeting in order to inform all school students about the dangers they are exposed to due to the radiation levels and that they can actually be harmed by this. They were determined to find ways to protect themselves in case the school Board was not willing to, since students are more exposed to wireless devices than any other group. The Peel Board announced that classroom microwave levels are lower than federal safety limits. But recently these limits were questioned by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health indicating that these amounts of radiation could possibly cause a series of health issues including cancer and infertility.

Frank Clegg CEO of Canadians for Safe Technology, one of the speakers in the students’ meeting, claimed that” the Board is misleading its students because the high levels of radiation were measured with only four Wi-Fi devices operating while there are normally 50 devices in use. The students have also invited an international expert on cancer, Dr. Anthony Miller who would give them a lecture on the risks of cancer from common wireless devices like cell phones and Wi-Fi.

In 2011 the W.H.O. declared microwave radiation from Wi-Fi and cell phones to be a “possible carcinogen“, along with formaldehyde and car exhaust. Infertility is also a serious effect that cannot be ignored. Therefore, a thorough investigation on the matter and the development of a policy to substantially reduce wireless exposures to students and staff are of high importance.

A simple way to reduce the radiation dose and exposure time for children and staff is by turning off the Wi-Fi devices when not in use since they are constantly emitting radiation even when no one is using the internet.

What is now advisable is to post in every classroom the Instructions for “Best Practices” which include:

The safest solution is to provide wired connections
Avoid prolonged, close contact with wireless routers
If students are not using the internet, make sure they de-activate the WiFi
Find out if the router has an easily accessible power switch that can be
turned off when you don’t need access to the Internet

As a parent, would you be against Wi-Fi use in school?

Male age interferes with embryo growth in IVF treatment

Posted on March 10, 2021December 14, 2021 by Yiannis

Does male age affect embryo growth or quality in couples undergoing IVF treatment?

Literature shows that Advanced paternal age (APA) is associated with decreased sperm quality and fecundity. However, the effect of male age on embryo growth in an IVF setting remains inconclusive. Literature concerning male influences on IVF success is scarce and approaches used to analyse embryo outcomes differ by study.

This study was part of the longitudinal Epigenetic Legacy of Paternal Obesity (ELPO) study for which fathers and mothers were followed from pre-pregnancy until the birth of their child. Couples were recruited from April 2015 to September 2017. A total of 1057 embryos from 87 couples were studied.

Dutch-speaking couples planning to undergo an IVF treatment were recruited at the Leuven University Fertility Center in Flanders, Belgium. Anthropometrics were documented and compared to the general Flemish population. Semen characteristics, pregnancy rates and the following embryo characteristics were recorded: number of blastomeres, symmetry and percentage fragmentation.

The scientists observed a significant inverse association between APA and a key determinant for scoring of embryo quality: older men were less likely to produce an embryo of eight blastomeres at Day 3, compared to younger fathers.

Because of the study’s small sample size and its monocentric nature, a larger study is warranted to confirm the results. The scientists suggest a heightened need for future research into male age and its potential effects on embryo growth, embryo quality and ART outcomes. Clinical decision-making and preventative public health programmes would benefit from a better understanding of the role of men, carried forward by the Paternal Origins of Health and Disease (POHaD) paradigm.

What would you comment on the age of men in relation to the above article?

Sperm count affects cumulative birth rate of assisted reproduction cycles in relation to ovarian response

Posted on January 17, 2021January 17, 2021 by Yiannis

To explore the possible influence of sperm quality, as assessed by prewash total sperm count (TSC), on cumulative success rates in assisted reproduction cycles.

Methods: Retrospective study carried out in private IVF centre. Seven hundred sixty-five couples undergoing complete ICSI cycles, i.e. whose all embryos were transferred or disposed of. Couples were characterised by male infertility and female age younger than 36 years. Couples with a combination of female and male infertility factors were excluded. The primary outcome measure was cumulative live birth rate. Secondary outcomes were cumulative pregnancy and miscarriage rates. No specific interventions were made.

Results: Higher TSC values have a positive impact on cumulative success rates in cycles characterised by few retrieved oocytes (1 to 5), while does not influence the outcome of cycles with a normal (6 to 10) or high (> 10) number of retrieved oocytes.

Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of sperm quality for the efficacy of assisted reproduction treatments. This influence may remain relatively cryptic in association with normal or high ovarian response, but emerge decisively in cases of reduced ovarian response, suggesting a relationship between ovarian response and oocyte ability to compensate for paternal-derived deficiencies.

What do you think about “Improve sperm quality before assisted reproductive cycles”?