Of all the milestones achieved by medical science, IVF is probably the most exciting. The reason is simple – it is capable of creating life! But, at the end of the day, IVF is a form of technology; and like all technologies, it is constantly improving and greatly advancing.

So here are some of the latest development in the field of IVF from the world over. As you can see, they are pushing the boundaries of what can be done within the confines of a lab.

Tripling the number of successful births

Researchers at the CARE Fertility Group, UK, have developed IVF techniques that are capable of increasing the success rate from a 24% to a mammoth 78%. The new technique is also lighter on the pocket, bringing down the cost of one IVF cycle from £5000 to £750.

Reducing the number of multiple pregnancies

A single IVF cycle has about a 32% chance of resulting in live birth. To improve the odds, doctors often transfer multiple embryos in the uterus during a single IVF cycle, leading to a high rate of twins and triplets.

This, however, puts a lot of strain on the parents, especially in cases where they’re not ready for such an outcome. As a result, multiple pregnancies can cause a severe drain on finances and energy.

That’s why a new technique has been developed called Preimplantation Genetic Screening. This screens out the weaker embryos and keeping only the strong ones, leading to a higher success rate from a single implantation, rather than two or three.

Egg Vitrification

We’ve all heard of freezing the sperm. It’s a common occurrence these days. Now women, too, can freeze their eggs, and the benefits associated with this practice are many. Women can preserve their eggs when they are the healthiest, usually in their mid-to-late twenties. These can then be used at a later date without worrying about the decline in fertility that happens naturally with age.

Embryo Freezing

This process is similar to the one mentioned above. The main difference is that instead of freezing unfertilized eggs, in embryo freezing the eggs are fertilized with sperm from a male partner or sperm donor prior to freezing. The entire embryo is then frozen to retrieved at a later date for pregnancy.

Fertility Enhancing Surgeries

Procedures like hysteroscopy and laparoscopy can remove polyps, adhesions, fibroids, asherman’s, e.t.c. This can improve the chances of conception with treatment. Several of these procedures have been upgraded to be “minimally invasive”, meaning they have decreased recovery time and better cosmetic results.

All these advancements have led to a remarkable increase in the overall fertility rates. The average fertile age has gone up in both men and women. Using these techniques, people are able to conceive healthy babies much later in their lives.

Look at the Red and Yellow graph lines. That’s the age group from 30 to 39, and that’s the one that has shown the most improvement.

Day after day, advancements in IVF is giving hope to countless couples in the world. Breaking through barriers of age, health complications, endometriosis, tuberculosis, menopause, and infertility, it is able to help people realize their dreams of having a child of their own. Delhi IVF is blessed to be a pioneer and a significant part of such a wonderful cause and we consciously aim to utilize every breakthrough in this field to give our patients the best results possible.