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Related Concept Videos

In Vitro Fertilization01:24

In Vitro Fertilization

345
In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a form of assisted reproductive technology where an egg is fertilized with sperm in a controlled laboratory environment before transferring the resulting embryo into the uterus. This process is designed to help individuals and couples experiencing difficulties conceiving.
The IVF process begins with ovarian stimulation, during which reproductive endocrinologists prescribe hormonal medications to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple eggs instead of the single...
345

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Promising Perinatal Outcome after Using a Simplified Low-Cost IVF Culture System Specifically Designed for

Willem Ombelet1,2, Jonathan Van Blerkom3, Liesbeth Bruckers4

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Genk Institute for Fertility Technology, ZOL Hospitals, 3600 Genk, Belgium.

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Summary

Simplified culture system (SCS) for in vitro fertilization (IVF) shows lower preterm birth and low birthweight rates in fresh embryo transfers. This makes IVF more accessible and affordable in low- and middle-income countries.

Keywords:
IVFLMICassisted reproductiondeveloping countriesinfertility carelow-cost IVFsimplified IVF

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Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Medicine
  • In Vitro Fertilization
  • Global Health

Background:

  • Assisted reproductive techniques (ART) are unaffordable for many in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).
  • Reducing in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory costs is essential for global ART accessibility.
  • A simplified culture system (SCS) has been developed and proven effective; its safety is now being evaluated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the safety and perinatal outcomes of a novel simplified culture system (SCS) for IVF.
  • To compare rates of preterm birth (PTB) and low birthweight (LBW) in infants conceived via SCS versus conventional IVF.
  • To evaluate the potential of SCS for making IVF more affordable in LMIC.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective study compared singletons born after SCS (n=176) with those from conventional IVF/ICSI in Belgium (2013-2018).
  • Outcomes included preterm birth (PTB) and low birthweight (LBW) for fresh embryo transfer (ET) and frozen embryo transfer (FET) groups.
  • Statistical analysis, including adjustment for seven known risk factors, was performed for the fresh ET comparison.

Main Results:

  • Before adjustment, SCS fresh ET showed significantly lower PTB (10.2% vs. 3.8%) and LBW (9.8% vs. 2.9%) compared to conventional IVF.
  • After adjusting for risk factors, these differences remained significant for PTB (OR 2.627) and LBW (OR 3.267).
  • No significant differences in PTB or LBW were observed between SCS and conventional IVF for frozen ET singletons.

Conclusions:

  • The simplified culture system (SCS) demonstrates reassuringly low PTB and LBW rates in frozen embryo transfer cycles.
  • SCS singletons in fresh embryo transfer cycles had significantly lower PTB and LBW rates compared to conventional IVF.
  • These findings support SCS as a valuable tool for implementing cost-effective IVF in LMIC.