IVF baby boom Discovery delivered by Aussies
AUSTRALIAN scientists have pioneered a breakthrough in IVF treatment, with a 46.7 per cent increase in the number of viable highgrade embryos per cycle.
The cutting-edge process allows embryos to grow in a petri-dish undisturbed for five to six days, mirroring the journey in the fallopian tubes, before being implanted in the uterus. It’s the closest process yet to what would happen inside the mother’s womb.
Scientists at Australian IVF clinic Genea have come up with a new version of continuous culture fluid – closer to that found in the human body – that, used in conjunction with a unique timelapse incubator, is having a dramatic impact on the number of high-grade embryos per cycle.
A study of 1200 Australian patients and 6000 embryos from August 2016 to March 2017 showed using the new fluid and incubator together resulted in a 46.7 per cent increase compared with a traditional culture and medium system. International clinics in Europe, Japan, Canada, China and the US are now vying to get their hands on the new system.
The new culture medium can be used across all stages of embryo growth, enabling undisturbed growth
The timelapse incubator also means scientists no longer have to remove growing embryos for monitoring.
In the Geri incubator, each family’s embryos are housed in their own unique chamber – unlike other traditional storage methods where all cycles are held together, meaning when one needs attending to, all get disturbed.
Genea medical director Mark Bowman said the study showed the new system could result in more babies being born.
“It’s fair to say that if a patient has more viable embryos for transfer or freeze, it’s likely we will make more babies per egg collection,” associate professor Bowman said. “(This) presents a significant cost and emotional benefit to patients and a saving for the government.”
One in six Australian couples suffer infertility and about one in every 25 Australian births is a result of IVF.
In 2014, a total of 12,875 Australian babies were born as a result of assisted reproductive technologies, up 21 per cent from 2010.
Genea scientific director Steven McArthur, whose team has been responsible for
THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THIS PROCESS WAS THE REASON OUR ONE LITTLE EGG SURVIVED AND THRIVED.
ALYCE BROWN
pioneering the new process, has been working in the field since 1989. “To be able to recreate the process as close as possible to the human body is definitely the most exciting thing,” Mr McArthur said.
Four-month-old Harvey was the result of the breakthrough IVF treatment after just one egg was collected from mother Alyce Brown.
Ms Brown, 30, said despite being quite young, she had a very low egg count, which reduced the chances of she and partner Jesse, 29, falling pregnant naturally.
They turned to IVF but the first cycle collected just one egg. But that egg was fertilised and grown into an embryo in Genea’s special incubator and culture fluid.
“When we were told that Harvey was the result of this breakthrough process, I got goosebumps,” Ms Brown said. “There is no doubt in my mind this process was the reason our one little egg survived and thrived.”