Ετικέτα: sperm

New embryo selection method: Zinc ‘fireworks’

Last modified: 30 Απριλίου, 2016

According to the new research published in Scientific Reports journal Zinc ‘fireworks’ could help subfertile couples for a successful IVF treatment.

It has been previously found in animal studies that zinc is an essential element for the oocyte maturation and activation. In fact, zinc is released in great amounts in oocytes at the moment of fertilisation, a phenomenon termed as the ‘’zinc spark’’.   This event was initially observed in mouse oocytes, indicating a crucial role of zinc in fertilisation process.

Now, for the first time, scientists managed to capture this light spark, related to zinc release, emitted this very moment a human sperm cell meets the egg. The zinc release taking place during fertilization, due to sperm binding to the egg, emits light in radiant bursts. The scientists had the chance to watch, from a recorded video, billions of zinc atoms to be released the moment the sperm cell penetrates the egg’s membrane. These zinc ‘’fireworks’’ lasted for about 2 hours after fertilisation.

The discovery from the scientists of Northwestern Medicine could give to fertility clinics a new non-invasive technique for selecting the best egg quality.

The most interesting part of the study, as reported by the research team from the University of Northwestern, is that some eggs appear to be brighter than others having a more intense ‘’zinc spark’’. This fact is indicative of their quality and ability to develop into a healthy embryo. According to study results, the percentage of successful embryo selection was more than doubled when correlated to the zinc spark amplitude.

Collectively, this study provided robust evidence that zinc spark is a hallmark of egg activation in mammals, including humans, and therefore could make a clinical tool for predicting which embryos could reach the blastocyst level. The discovery from scientists of Northwestern Medicine could give to fertility clinics a new non-invasive technique for selecting the best egg quality.

So, according to fertility experts the ‘’zinc spark’’ event has the potential to be a new embryo selection method for subfertile couples by increasing the chances of getting pregnant through IVF procedure. Such news give hope to couples struggling with infertility as it is known that about 50% of fertilized eggs through IVF in fertility clinics, fail to develop into a healthy embryo due to genetic abnormalities.

 

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Ovulation Calculator: Because Timing Matters

Last modified: 2 Νοεμβρίου, 2015
Ovulation Calculator

12 to 24 hours after the woman ovulates, she is no longer able to achieve pregnancy during that cycle.

Whether you are considering the potential of getting pregnant or systematically trying to conceive, you are probably going to need an ovulation calculator; because timing matters when it comes to fertility.
One in two couples is trying to conceive the wrong days of the woman’s ovulation cycle, probably due to lack of knowledge. A better understanding of fertility, ovulation process and how this is involved in a woman’s menstrual cycle in overall can be of great help for couples who aim to achieve pregnancy.

There are only a few days (typically 6) in each menstrual cycle that you have high chances of getting pregnant, the days prior and during ovulation. So it is critical to be aware of when are these days during your ovulation cycle for successful fertilisation.

What is ovulation at first place?

Ovulation is the procedure happening once in every menstrual cycle when hormonal changes cause the ovary to release an egg. This occurs about 12-16 days before the initiation of your next menstrual cycle.
While an egg survives for no longer than 24 hours after its release, the sperm cell can maintain its viability for up to 5 days. Therefore, you might be surprised to know that sexual intercourse 4 to 5 days prior egg release can lead to the desired outcome, pregnancy.

Fertile Window

The overall ‘’fertile window’’, taking into account the lifespan of the sperm and the lifespan of the egg as well, is roughly 6 days. So the ‘’fertile window’’ applies to the time period during menstrual cycle where unprotected sexual intercourse can lead to conception. At the end of the ‘’fertile window’’, the likelihood of conception declines rapidly and by 12 to 24 hours after the woman ovulates, she is no longer able to achieve pregnancy during that cycle.

Due to menstrual irregularities it might be hard for women to predict their most fertile days, but this knowledge is crucial for getting pregnant. An accurate way for finding out your fertile days is to measure the basic fertility hormones (LH, estrogen). This can be easily done by using an ovulation test or a fertility monitor at home, identifying your full ‘’fertile window’’.

How do you know your “Fertile window”?

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