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Background

This investigation describes features of patients undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and embryo transfer (ET) where both gametes were obtained from anonymous donors.

Methods

Gamete unsuitability or loss was confirmed in both members of seven otherwise healthy couples presenting for reproductive endocrinology consultation over a 12-month interval in Ireland. IVF was undertaken with fresh oocytes provided by anonymous donors in Ukraine; frozen sperm (anonymous donor) was obtained from a licensed tissue establishment. For recipients, saline-enhanced sonography was used to assess intrauterine contour with endometrial preparation via transdermal estrogen.

Results

Among commissioning couples, mean±SD female and male age was 41.9 ± 3.7 and 44.6 ± 3.5 yrs, respectively. During this period, female age for non dual anonymous gamete donation IVF patients was 37.9 ± 3 yrs (p < 0.001). Infertility duration was ≥3 yrs for couples enrolling in dual gamete donation, and each had ≥2 prior failed fertility treatments using native oocytes. All seven recipient couples proceeded to embryo transfer, although one patient had two transfers. Clinical pregnancy was achieved for 5/7 (71.4%) patients. Non-transferred cryopreserved embryos were available for all seven couples.

Conclusions

Mean age of females undergoing dual anonymous donor gamete donation with IVF is significantly higher than the background IVF patient population. Even when neither partner is able to contribute any gametes for IVF, the clinical pregnancy rate per transfer can be satisfactory if both anonymous egg and sperm donation are used concurrently. Our report emphasises the role of pre-treatment counselling in dual anonymous gamete donation, and presents a coordinated screening and treatment approach in IVF where this option may be contemplated.

Purpose:Our purpose was to determine if controlled ovarian hyperstimulation adversely affects implantation.

Methods:A retrospective comparison of pregnancy rates (PRs) and implantation rates was made between oocyte recipients versus their donors, who shared half of the retrieved oocytes, and regular patients undergoing in vitro fertilization–embryo transfer (IVF-ET) who were not sharing eggs.

Results:Higher implantation rates (39.0 vs 22.5%; P < 0.05) were found in recipients compared to donors in the stimulated cycle. However, no differences were seen in PRs or implantation rates in frozen ET cycles. The data for standard IVF patients were almost-identical to those for donors.

Conclusions:Superior implantation rates and PRs in oocyte recipients versus donors were not related to better oocyte quality for recipients because of egg sharing or to a better uterine environment because of similar results with frozen ET in all three groups. An adverse effect of the hyperstimulation regimen best explains the difference.

Purpose: Our purpose was to assess the endocrine status of women with polycystic ovaries (PCO) undergoing IVF, and to compare oocyte quality with endocrine markers of the syndrome, in an attempt to define a subpopulation with poor quality oocytes.

Methods: This was a retrospective study. Patients were first endocrinologically analyzed: serum levels of androgens (T, androstenedione, DHEAS), FSH, and LH as well as glucose and insulin after an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were recorded and are expressed as absolute values and area under the curve (AUC). Subsequently, they were followed over a 2-year period in which patients underwent several attempts of IVF as well as serving as oocyte donors. Patients were divided into three groups: group I (n=4) was women who displayed embryos unable to implant in 15 IVF cycles and 10 ovum donation cycles in which they served as donors; group II (n=16) was PCO patients in whom IVF (n=38) and/or oocyte donation cycles (n=42) resulted in pregnancies; and group III (n=13) was IVF patients with normal appearance of the ovaries by ultrasound. The endocrine status was compared with the IVF results.

Results: There was no difference among groups in the endocrinological parameters tested, except for the OGTT which identified women in group I as having higher serum glucose and insulin levels than patients in groups II and III. Similarly, the OGTT showed higher serum glucose values in group II compared to group III. Women in group I were also obese. Patients in group III were older than PCO patients and needed more gonadotropins to reach an ovarian response which resulted in a reduced number of oocytes retrieved. Fertilization was also impaired in group I, in which no pregnancy was recorded.

Conclusions: This study shows that there is a particular subgroup of PCO patients with lower fertilization rates and embryos unable to implant. These patients are obese and nonhyperandrogenic and show derangements of insulin secretion.

Purpose

This study assessed pregnancy rates and obstetric outcomes in women with premature ovarian failure (Group A) with post-menopausal women ≥40 years (Group B) who had IVF ± ICSI using donor eggs.

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of 54 recipients with either premature ovarian failure or physiological menopause undergoing oocyte donation between 2000 and 2007 at Monash IVF.

Results

The average number of stimulated cycles required for a woman in group A and B to deliver a baby was 1.75 and 1.4 respectively. Both groups had high cumulative pregnancy rates; however, there was a statistically significant difference with regards to rates of complications.

Conclusion

Oocyte donation in both premature ovarian failure and physiological menopause is highly successful and cumulative pregnancy rate is an important statistic which can be used to inform women seeking this technique. High rates of complications, in conjunction with individual risk-factor analysis needs to be considered when counselling post-menopausal women about oocyte donation.

Purpose

To compare attitudes towards gamete donation between IVF doctors in the Nordic countries, and to determine whether attitudes are in correspondence with national legislation.

Materials and methods

A study-specific questionnaire was used to study attitudes of 108 IVF doctors (92% response). Participants constituted 78% of all IVF doctors in Sweden, Denmark and Norway and 15% of IVF doctors in Finland.

Results

Despite similar legislation regarding offspring right to learn his/her donor’s identity, IVF doctors from Norway reported significantly more negative attitudes towards disclosure than did Swedish physicians. A majority from all countries demonstrated positive attitudes towards embryo donation and allowing sperm donation for lesbian couples. Physicians reported strong support for anonymous donation but less support for ‘known’ donation.

Conclusion

There are discrepancies between IVF doctors’ attitudes towards gamete donation and national legislation in four Nordic countries. Negative attitudes towards disclosure to offspring may counteract legislative intentions.

Background

Premature ovarian failure (POF) remains a clinically challenging entity because in vitro fertilisation (IVF) with donor oocytes is currently the only treatment known to be effective.

Methods

A 33 year-old nulligravid patient with a normal karyotype was diagnosed with POF; she had a history of failed fertility treatments and had an elevated serum FSH (42 mIU/ml). Oocytes donated by her dizygotic twin sister were used for IVF. The donor had already completed a successful pregnancy herself and subsequently produced a total of 10 oocytes after a combined FSH/LH superovulation regime. These eggs were fertilised with sperm from the recipient's husband via intracytoplasmic injection and two fresh embryos were transferred to the recipient on day three.

Results

A healthy twin pregnancy resulted from IVF; two boys were delivered by caesarean section at 39 weeks' gestation. Additionally, four embryos were cryopreserved for the recipient's future use. The sister-donor achieved another natural pregnancy six months after oocyte retrieval, resulting in a healthy singleton delivery.

Conclusion

POF is believed to affect approximately 1% of reproductive age females, and POF patients with a sister who can be an oocyte donor for IVF are rare. Most such IVF patients will conceive from treatment using oocytes from an anonymous oocyte donor. This is the first report of births following sister-donor oocyte IVF in Ireland. Indeed, while sister-donor IVF has been successfully undertaken by IVF units elsewhere, this is the only known case where oocyte donation involved twin sisters. As with all types of donor gamete therapy, pre-treatment counselling is important in the circumstance of sister oocyte donation.

Purpose

To describe a case of Goldenhar syndrome in a couple receiving donated oocytes in an ‘egg sharing’ IVF cycle where the recipient of donor oocytes had Turner syndrome, hypothyroidism and gestational diabetes.

Methods

Case report

Results

Child born to oocyte recipient with Goldenhar syndrome

Conclusions

We believe this is the first reported case of a child born with Goldenhar syndrome following use of donated oocytes in IVF by a woman with Turner syndrome, hypothyroidism and gestational diabetes.

We report the safe use of levonorgestrel hormone releasing intra uterine system (Mirena®) as a contraceptive in egg donors during a treatment cycle. In the first case report, a 29-year-old egg donor using the Mirena coil for contraception and two egg recipients, aged 41 years and 32 years respectively underwent standard IVF treatment, oocyte retrieval in the egg donor and in vitro fertilization followed by embryo transfer in the recipient. The outcome of IVF cycle using donor eggs was satisfactory with successful pregnancy in the egg recipient. The second case involved a 34-year-old egg donor using the Mirena coil and a 44-year-old recipient. Our findings suggest that egg donors can safely use the (Mirena®) as a contraceptive device during treatment, without compromising follicular development and oocyte quality.

Purpose: To determine whether donor oocyte cytoplasm transferred into the oocytes of women ≥40 years or with diminished ovarian reserve would enhance embryo quality, implantation, or pregnancy rates.

Methods: Study subjects included women ≥40 years (15) or with abnormal FSH levels (3). Healthy volunteers (18) produced oocytes for cryopreservation. Donor oocytes were thawed and cytoplasm from surviving oocytes was injected with a single sperm into the cytoplasm of recipient oocytes. Outcome measures included embryo quality scores, implantation, and pregnancy rates.

Results: Eighteen donors produced 213 oocytes for cryopreservation and 39/171 (22.8%) survived thawing. Eighteen recipients initiated 25 IVF cycles with embryo transfer in 20 cycles after cytoplasmic transfer (CT). Four cycles resulted in three biochemical losses and one aneuploid clinical loss. Embryo quality did not improve with CT compared to pre-CT IVF cycles in six recipients.

Conclusions: CT with cryopreserved donor oocyte cytoplasm did not enhance success in women with advanced reproductive age or low ovarian reserve.

Purpose: To determine if the elective transfer of two embryos reduced the incidence of multiple gestations while maintaining high pregnancy rates. Methods: IVF patients and recipients of oocyte donation with an elective day-3 transfer of 2 or 3 embryos were studied. Result(s): In IVF, the elective transfer of 2 embryos resulted in similar pregnancy rate but significantly reduced the overall incidence of multiple gestations (20% versus 39%) when compared to the elective transfer of 3 embryos. Twin gestations decreased from 28% to 19%, and triplets significantly decreased from 9% to 1%. In oocyte donation, the elective transfer of 2 embryos resulted in similar pregnancy rate but also significantly reduced the overall incidence of multiple gestations (26% versus 48%), with twins decreasing from 34% to 24%, and with a significant reduction of triplets (13% versus 2%). Conclusions: In IVF and oocyte donation, the elective transfer of 2 embryos resulted in similar pregnancy rates and significantly reduced multiple gestation rates when compared to the elective transfer of 3 embryos.

BACKGROUND

This 11th European IVF-monitoring report presents the results of assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatments initiated in Europe during 2007.

METHODS

From 33 countries, 1029 clinics reported 493 184 treatment cycles: IVF (120 761), ICSI (256 642), frozen embryo replacement (91 145), egg donation (15 731), preimplantation genetic diagnosis/preimplantation genetic screening (4638), in vitro maturation (660) and frozen oocytes replacements (3607). Overall, this represents a 7.6% increase since 2006, mostly related to an increase in all registers. IUI using husband/partner's (IUI-H) and donor (IUI-D) semen was reported from 23 countries: 142 609 IUI-H (+6.2%) and 26 088 IUI-D (+7.2%).

RESULTS

In 18 countries where all clinics reported, 376 971 ART cycles were performed in a population of 425.6million (886 cycles per million). The clinical pregnancy rates per aspiration and per transfer were 29.1 and 32.8% for IVF, and 28.6 and 33.0% for ICSI. Delivery rate after IUI-H was 10.2% in women aged < 40 years. In IVF/ICSI cycles, 1, 2, 3 and ≥4 embryos were transferred in 21.4, 53.4, 22.7 and 2.5% of cycles, with no decline in the number of embryos per transfer since 2006. The proportion of multiple deliveries (22.3: 21.3% twin and 1.0% triplet), did not decrease compared with 2006 (20.8%) and 2005 (21.8%). In women < 40 years undergoing IUI-H, twin deliveries occurred in 11.7% and triplets in 0.5%.

CONCLUSIONS

In comparison with previous years, the reported number of ART cycles in Europe increased in 2007; pregnancy rates increased marginally, but the earlier decline in the number of embryos transferred and multiple births did not continue.

BACKGROUND

One of the major factors impacting on a couple's relationship is the desire to have children. To many couples having a child is a confirmation of their love and relationship and a means to deepen and develop their intimate relationship. At the same time parental stress can impact on relationship quality. Relationship quality in lesbian couples is, currently, sparsely studied. The aim of the present study was to compare lesbian and heterosexual couples' perceptions of their relationship quality at the commencement of assisted reproduction, and to relate this to background data such as educational level, having previous children and, for lesbian couples, the use of a known versus anonymous donor.

METHODS

The present study is part of the prospective longitudinal ‘Swedish study on gamete donation’, including all fertility clinics performing donation treatment in Sweden. Of a consecutive cohort of 214 lesbian couples about to receive donor insemination and 212 heterosexual couples starting regular IVF treatment, 166 lesbian couples (78% response) and 151 heterosexual couples (71% response) accepted participation in the study. At commencement of assisted reproduction participants individually completed questionnaires including the instrument ‘ENRICH’, which is a standardized measure concerning relationship quality.

RESULTS

In general, the couples rated their relationship quality as good, the lesbian couple better than the heterosexuals. In addition, the lesbian women with previous children assessed their relationship quality lower than did the lesbian woman without previous children. For heterosexual couples previous children did not influence their relationship quality. Higher educational levels reduced the satisfaction with the sexual relationship (P = 0.04) for treated lesbian women, and enhanced the rating of conflict resolution for treated lesbian women (P = 0.03) and their partners (P = 0.02). Heterosexual women with high levels of education expressed more satisfaction with communication in their relationship (P = 0.02) than did heterosexual women with lower educational levels.

CONCLUSIONS

In this Swedish study sample of lesbian and heterosexual couples' relationships, we found that they were generally well adjusted and stable in their relationships when starting treatment with donated sperm or IVF, respectively. However, where lesbian women had children from a previous relationship, it decreased relationship quality. For the heterosexual couples previous children did not affect relationship quality.

Purpose

This study aimed to explore the incidence of empty follicle syndrome (EFS) in oocyte donors who had final oocyte maturation triggered with GnRHa and to compare the incidence of EFS in this group of patients with IVF patients who had final oocyte maturation with hCG.

Methods

Data including 2034 oocyte donation cycles and 1433 IVF cycles performed between years 2009 and 2010 was retrospectively analyzed to identify cases of EFS in each group.

Results

The incidence of EFS in the two groups did not differ significantly, 3.5% versus 3.1%, (n.s.).

Conclusions

This large retrospective analysis indicates that the incidence of EFS is not increased after GnRHa triggering as compared to hCG triggering.

STUDY QUESTION

Do heterosexual parents of young children following oocyte donation (OD) and sperm donation (SD) tell or intend to tell their offspring about the way he/she was conceived?

SUMMARY ANSWER

Following successful treatment with oocytes or sperm from identity-release donors in Sweden, almost all heterosexual couples intend to tell their offspring about the way he/she was conceived and some start the information-sharing process very early.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

Although the Swedish legislation on identity-release gamete donors has been in effect since 1985, there is a discrepancy between the behaviour of donor-insemination parents and the legal intention that offspring be informed about their genetic origin. The present study contributes data on a relatively large sample of oocyte and sperm recipient couples' intended compliance with the Swedish legislation.

DESIGN AND DATA COLLECTION METHOD

The present study constitutes a follow-up assessment of heterosexual couples who had given birth to a child following treatment with donated oocytes. Data collection was performed during 2007–2011; participants individually completed a questionnaire when the child was between 1 and 4 years of age.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The present study is part of the Swedish Study on Gamete Donation, a prospective longitudinal cohort study including all fertility clinics performing gamete donation in Sweden. For children conceived via OD, 107 individuals (including 52 couples and 3 individuals) agreed to participate (73% response). For children conceived via SD, the response rate was 70% (n = 122 individuals, including 59 couples and 4 individuals). Mean age of participants was 34 years (SD 4.4) and they reported a high level of education.

MAIN RESULTS

The majority of participants (78%) planned to tell the child about the donation, 16% had already started the information-sharing process and 6% planned not to tell their child about the donation or were undecided. Many were unsure about a suitable time to start the disclosure process and desired more information about strategies and tools for information sharing. Agreement on disclosure to offspring within the couple was related to the quality of the partner relationship.

BIAS AND GENERALIZABILITY

There is a risk of selection bias, with gamete recipients preferring secrecy and non-disclosure declining study participation. The results may be regarded as partly generalizable to heterosexual couples with young children following treatment with gametes from legislatively mandated identity-release donors in an established donor programme.

STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS

Study funding by Merck Serono, The Swedish Research Council and The Family Planning Fund in Uppsala. No conflicts of interest to declare.

Objective

To evaluate the relation between male age and pregnancy outcome in donor oocyte assisted reproductive technology cycles

Design

Retrospective cohort

Setting

Private IVF center.

Patients

1392 donor cycles from 1083 female recipients and their male partners

Interventions

Oocyte donor cycles

Main outcome measure(s)

Live birth

Results

Increasing male age was associated with semen parameters including volume and motility; however, male age was not observed to have a statistically significant association with likelihood of live birth in donor cycles after adjustment for female recipient age.

Conclusions

When treatment cycle number and female recipient age were taken into account, male age had no significant association with pregnancy outcomes in ART donor cycles in this study population.

Purpose

To identify risk factors for suboptimal IVF outcomes using insemination with donor spermatozoa and to define a lower threshold that may signal a conversion to fertilization by ICSI rather than insemination.

Method

Retrospective, age-matched, case-control study of women undergoing non-donor oocyte IVF cycles using either freshly ejaculated (N = 138) or cryopreserved donor spermatozoa (N = 69). Associations between method of fertilization, semen sample parameters, and pregnancy rates were analyzed.

Results

In vitro fertilization of oocytes with donor spermatozoa by insemination results in equivalent fertilization and pregnancy rates compared to those of freshly ejaculated spermatozoa from men with normal semen analyses when the post-processing motility is greater than or equal to 88%. IVF by insemination with donor spermatozoa when the post-processing motility is less than 88% is associated with a 5-fold reduction in pregnancy rates when compared to those of donor spermatozoa above this motility threshold. When the post-processing donor spermatozoa motility is low, fertilization by ICSI is associated with significantly higher pregnancy rates compared to those of insemination.

Conclusion

While ICSI does not need to be categorically instituted when using donor spermatozoa in IVF, patients should be counseled that conversion from insemination to ICSI may be recommended based on low post-processing motility.

Purpose

Our purpose was to survey recipients in an ovum donation program and report on their expectations while waiting for their potential donor recipient match.

Methods

Accepted or rejected anonymous ovum donor matches (n = 80) from January 1996 to May 1997 were evaluated. Patients generated a “wish list” of desired traits and physical characteristics. From an approved donor pool of medically and psychologically screened women, candidates were drawn upon as potential matches and presented to the potential recipient, who decided whether to accept the donor. Reasons for accepting or rejecting the donor were tallied and were compared to the patient’s wish list.

Results

Medical history and race were ranked by 33 and 23% of recipient couples as the two most important characteristics, while 74 and 54% stated that these were among the three most important factors in a potential donor compared with other traits. Fiftyseven (71%) recipients accepted, while 23 (29%) rejected, the first donor presented to them. Eleven were subsequently given a second choice within 6 months, with 10 (91%) accepting the next presented match. Recipients waiting for a donor were just as likely to accept or reject a potential candidate whether waiting < 3 months (33%; 15/46), 3–6 months (25%; 4/16), or >6 months (22%; 4/18) (P > 0.05; NS). In all but five recipients, the reason for rejection was consistent with their top three priorities reported in their wish list.

Conclusions

Phenotypic, ethnic, educational, and other interests are important in the selection of an ovum donor. Recipients are proactive in their decision process, making educated and well considered decisions in spite of the limited pool and the extended time frame in waiting for an appropriate ovum donor.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine if there is a threshold of clinical response to ovarian stimulation below which pregnancy rates diminish in oocyte donation cycles.

Methods: Two hundred and seventy-six oocyte donor cycles were reviewed. Data were stratified by number of oocytes retrieved and divided into pregnant versus non-pregnant outcomes.

Results: There were no differences in fertilization rates or clinical pregnancy rates regardless of the number of oocytes retrieved ranging from 3 to > 25. There was no difference in the mean age of the donors in pregnant versus non-pregnant cycles.

Conclusions: These data suggest that a lower threshold below which cycle cancellation should be considered donation cycles is different than standard IVF.

Background

The percentage of women giving birth after the age of 35 increased in many western countries. The number of women remaining childless also increased, mostly due to aging oocytes. The method of oocyte donation offers the possibility for infertile older women to become pregnant. Gestation after oocyte-donation-IVF, however, is not without risks for the mother, especially at advanced age.

Case presentation

An infertile woman went abroad for oocyte-donation-IVF, since this treatment is not offered in The Netherlands after the age of 45. The first oocyte donation treatment resulted in multiple gestation, but was ended by induced abortion: the woman could not cope with the idea of being pregnant with twins. During the second pregnancy after oocyte donation, at the age of 50, she was mentally more stable. The pregnancy, again a multiple gestation, was uneventful until delivery. Immediately after delivery the woman had hypertension with nausea and vomiting. A few hours later she had an eclamptic fit. HELLP-syndrome was diagnosed. She died due to cerebral haemorrhage.

Conclusion

In The Netherlands, the age limit for women receiving donor oocytes is 45 years and commercial oocyte donation is forbidden by law. In other countries there is no age limit, the reason why some women are going abroad to receive the treatment of their choice.

Advanced age, IVF and twin pregnancy are all risk factors for pre-eclampsia, the leading cause of maternal death in The Netherlands.

Patient autonomy is an important ethical principle, but doctors are also bound to the principle of 'not doing harm', and do have the right to refuse medical treatment such as IVF-treatment. The discussion whether women above 50 should have children is still not closed. If the decision is made to offer this treatment to a woman at advanced age, the doctor should counsel her intensively about the risks before treatment is started.

Background

The nature of the association between the number of oocytes retrieved and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes after fresh embryo transfer remains unclear because of conflicting results reported in the studies on this subject. In addition, the influence of the quality of the embryos transferred is usually neglected. The objective of this study is to assess the relationships of the number of oocytes retrieved, the number and quality of embryos transferred, and the prospects of pregnancy after fresh embryo transfer.

Methods

The data on 3131 infertile women undergoing their first IVF treatment cycle between January 2009 and December 2010 were collected retrospectively. Restricted cubic splines and stratified analyses were used to explore the relationships between the number of oocytes retrieved, the number and quality of embryos transferred, and the IVF outcomes.

Results

When stratified by the number and quality of transferred embryos, no significant differences in the chances for clinical pregnancy and live birth were found in three groups of oocytes yielded (≤6, 7–14, or ≥15). The relationship between the number of oocytes retrieved and pregnancy is nearly a reflection of the pattern of the relationship between the number of oocytes retrieved and the probability of having two good-quality embryos transferred. The patients with the “optimal” number of oocytes were not only younger but also had the highest probability of having two good-quality embryos replaced.

Conclusions

Similarly aged patients have similar pregnancy prospects after fresh embryo transfer when the same number and quality of embryos are replaced, irrespective of their number of oocytes. Selecting the desired number of good-quality embryos for transfer is the key to IVF success. Thus, aiming at retrieving an optimal number of oocytes to maximize IVF outcomes in a fresh cycle could place undue stress on the patients and may not be the best medical decision.

Objective. To compare prelabour caesarean section (CS) rates in older nulliparous women with a term singleton baby in cephalic presentation conceiving spontaneously and through IVF/ICSI. When the latter women would ask for CS, how willing are gynaecologists to comply with that request? Methods. A population-based retrospective (1995–2009) cohort study, conducted in Northern Belgium. A comparison of 1,866 nulliparous women pregnant after IVF/ICSI and 15,228 controls is made. An anonymous postal questionnaire is sent to all Belgian gynaecologists. Result. Both groups are comparable with respect to maternal age, gestational age, and birth weight. Prelabour CS is more often performed in women who conceived through IVF/ICSI compared to those who conceived spontaneously (9.2% versus 6.3%, P < 0.001). One in five gynaecologists agrees with the maternal request. Conclusion. IVF/ICSI pregnancies in older nulliparous women more often end in a prelabour CS and a substantial number of gynaecologists go along with a nonmedical reason for CS.

BACKGROUND

For the past 10 years, we have been carrying out a longitudinal investigation of egg donation families in the UK; a subsample of recipients in these families had a child by egg donation from a sister or sister-in-law. In response to the current debate over the practice of intra-family donation, together with the general lack of available data on the consequences of donation between family members, we examined recipients’ experiences of donation between sisters and sisters-in-law.

METHODS

We analysed data from a subsample of recipient mothers who were taking part in a larger investigation of gamete donation families. Mothers were visited at home and interviewed when their child was aged 1, 3, 7 and 10 years. Data from nine recipient mothers whose egg donor was either their sister or sister-in-law were examined to assess the nature of mothers’, fathers’ and the child's relationship with the donor, and whether mothers had disclosed the nature of their child's conception to others, including the child.

RESULTS

The majority of recipient mothers reported positive relationships between the donor and members of their family (themselves, their partner and their children). Most mothers were happy with the donor's level of involvement with the child and reported that they and the donor maintained their social roles within the family, i.e. as mother and aunt, respectively. By age 10, two children had been told that they had been conceived using egg donation, both of whom had been told the identity of the donor.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the sample was small, this study provides the first longitudinal data on the experiences of families created using donated gametes from a family member. Intra-family donation between sisters or sisters-in-law can be a positive experience for recipients during the first 10 years following the child's birth. Studies that are specifically designed to look at donation between family members are needed to better evaluate the practice.

Background

To present a diagnostic evaluation and treatment strategy for serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary discovered during an in vitro fertilisation (IVF) sequence, and report on reproductive outcome after tumour resection and embryo transfer.

Case presentation

Cycle monitoring in IVF identified an abnormal ovarian lesion which was subjected to ultrasound-guided needle aspiration. Cytology suggested malignancy, and unilateral oophorectomy was performed after formal staging. After surgery, the patient underwent an anonymous donor oocyte IVF cycle which established a viable twin intrauterine pregnancy. No recurrence of cancer has been detected in the >72 month follow-up interval; mother and twin daughters continue to do well.

Conclusion

Suspicious adnexal structures noted during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation for IVF warrant assessment, and this report confirms the role of aspiration cytology in such cases. If uterine conservation is possible, successful livebirth can be achieved from IVF if donor oocyes are utilised, as described here.

The aim of this paper was to determine the effect of acupuncture on perceived stress levels in women on the day of embryo transfer (ET), and to determine if perceived stress levels at embryo transfer correlated with pregnancy rates. The study was an observational, prospective, cohort study based at the University IVF center.

Patient(s)

57 infertile patients undergoing IVF or IVF/ICSI

Interventions(s)

Patients were undergoing Embryo Transfer with or without acupuncture as part of their standard clinical care

Main outcome measure(s)

Perceive Stress Scale scores, pregnancy rates

Result(s)

women who received this acupuncture regimen achieved pregnancy 64.7%, whereas those without acupuncture achieved pregnancy 42.5%. When stratified by donor recipient status, only non-donor recipients potentially had an improvement with acupuncture (35.5% without acupuncture vs. 55.6% with acupuncture). Those who received this acupuncture regimen had lower stress scores both pre-ET and post-ET compared to those who did not. Those with decreased their perceived stress scores compared to baseline had higher pregnancy rates than those who did not demonstrate this decrease, regardless of acupuncture status.

Conclusions(s)

The acupuncture regimen was associated with less stress both before and after embryo transfer, and it possibly improved pregnancy rates. Lower perceived stress at the time of embryo transfer may play a role in an improved pregnancy rate.

Purpose: We studied the influence of aging, hyaluronidase removal of the cumulus, and microinjection on the sperm binding potential of human oocytes under intact zona assay conditions to determine the safe use of unstored aged unfertilized ICSI oocytes on zona binding tests. Results were also compared with those for aged IVF oocytes under the same conditions.

Methods: To avoid the large variation in sperm binding scores, we compared the ratios of the number of sperm bound to nontreated versus to treated oocytes. Treated oocytes were those whose zonae were exposed to hyaluronidase, an agent that decreases sperm binding. Experimental groups were fresh oocytes, experimentally aged fresh oocytes, fresh oocytes whose cumulus was removed either mechanically or with hyaluronidase, aged ICSI oocytes, and aged IVF oocytes.

Results: Statistical analysis within and between groups showed that aging, previous insemination, cumulus removal by hyaluronidase, and microinjection did not affect the sperm binding potential of human oocytes.

Conclusions: As the zona binding ability of fresh and unfertilized aged ICSI oocytes is similar, they can be used safely in zona assays.