Could new potential treatment mean safer IVF?

Conclusion This study provided a “proof of concept” that the naturally occurring hormone kisspeptin-54 can be used to stimulate egg maturation in women requiring IVF. The modified IVF – which is hoped to be safer than standard IVF – led to 12 healthy babies being born from 10 mums. Out of the 53 women undergoing a single IVF treatment, this gave a 19% success rate. Researchers hoped that using kisspeptin-54 could lead to a safer version of IVF by reducing the risk of OHSS. Although theoretically plausible, this study was much too small to prove that the new technique was safer; much larger trials will be required to prove this. What this study does prove is that it is possible to achieve IVF success to stimulate egg maturation by using kisspeptin-54. Another factor limiting the interpretation of the results is the fact that there was no control group. The study did not compare the effect of the experimental kisspeptin-54 treatment with regular IVF treatment. Therefore, the study told us about the relative effects of the different doses of kisspeptin, rather than how they stacked up against the current IVF treatment. This is something fully acknowledged by the research authors, but much less clear in the media's reporting. Future studies will need to examine not only whether the new treatment is safe, but also whether it leads to the similar success rates in terms of fertilisation and healthy births as the current technique. The BBC carries a quote indicating that...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Pregnancy/child Medication Source Type: news