Frozen Embryos Result In Just As Many Live Births In IVF, Study Suggests | HuffPost Life

'Frozen embryo techniques are growing in popularity.'

By

Life editor at HuffPost UK

Women undergoing IVF using frozen embryos have just as much of a chance of having a baby as those using embryos that haven’t been frozen, a study has suggested.

More than 2,000 women who were undergoing their first IVF cycle were randomly assigned to undergo either a frozen-embryo transfer or an un-frozen embryo transfer, by researchers at the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) and scientists from China.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found the percentage of women who had a live birth using frozen embryos was only slightly lower than those who had embryos that hadn’t been frozen. Researchers called this an “insignificant difference”.

“Frozen embryo techniques are growing in popularity in fertility clinics worldwide,” said lead author Dr Lan N. Vuong from the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City.

“This is one of the reasons why our research is important for fertility clinicians and researchers, and of course couples who are hoping to have a child.”

ktsimage via Getty Images

The researchers found that women using frozen embryos had a live birth rate of 48.7%, versus a live birth rate of 50.2% for women in the group where the embryos weren’t frozen.

The authors noted: “There were also no significant differences between the groups in rates of implantation, clinical pregnancy, overall pregnancy loss, and ongoing pregnancy.”

There was one difference between the two groups that the researchers noted. The frozen-embryo transfers resulted in a lower risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) than women using fresh-embryo transfers.

OHSS is a medical condition affecting the ovaries of some women who take fertility medication to stimulate egg growth.

Most cases are mild, but in rare cases the condition is severe and can lead to serious illness or death.

Women using frozen embryos had a 0.6% chance of developing OHSS, versus a 2% chance for women receiving embryos that had not been frozen.

“This is an emerging issue of immediate and important concern for couples who are seeking in-vitro fertilization treatment,” said Zhang, the Susan Dwight Bliss Professor of Biostatistics at YSPH, according to Yale News.

Before You Go

10 Things You May Not Know About Your Fertility

(01 of10)

1. Your fertility is mostly determined by genetics, which influences how many eggs you are born with. Doctors believe that the number of eggs you have at birth determines the length of time you will remain fertile. At birth, women have about two million eggs in their ovaries. For every egg ovulated during your reproductive life, about 1,000 eggs undergo programmed cell death. Other things, such as smoking cigarettes and certain types of chemotherapy, can accelerate egg cell death and promote an earlier menopause.

(02 of10)

2. Regular menstrual cycles are a sign of regular ovulation.Most women have regular cycles lasting between 24 and 35 days. This is usually a sign of regular, predictable ovulation. Women who do not ovulate regularly have irregular menstrual cycles. Those who do not ovulate at all may have a genetic condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

(03 of10)

3. Basal temperature charting does not predict ovulation.An older method of tracking ovulation involves taking your oral body temperature each morning before getting out of bed. This is called basal body temperature. This method is used to spot a rise in basal temperature, which is a sign that progesterone is being produced. The main problem with using this method is that your temperature rises after ovulation has already occurred. This makes it more difficult to time intercourse at an optimal time for conception. A better method is to use over-the-counter urine ovulation predictor test kits such as Clearblue Easy. These kits test for the hormone that prompts ovulation, which is called luteinizing hormone (LH).

(04 of10)

4. Most women with blocked fallopian tubes are completely unaware they may have had a prior pelvic infection.About 10 percent of infertility cases are due to tubal disease, either complete blockage or pelvic scarring causing tubal malfunction. One major cause of tubal disease is a prior pelvic infection from a sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia. These infections can cause so few symptoms that you may be completely unaware your tubes are affected. This is why fertility physicians will order a dye test of the tubes, called a hysterosalpingogram (HSG), if you have been trying and failing to conceive for 6 months or longer.

(05 of10)

5. In most cases, stress does not cause infertility. Except in rare cases of extreme physical or emotional distress, women will keep ovulating regularly. Conceiving while on vacation is likely less about relaxation than about coincidence and good timing of sex.

(06 of10)

6. By age 44, most women are infertile, even if they are still ovulating regularly. Even with significant fertility treatment, rates of conception are very low after age 43. Most women who conceive in their mid-40s with fertility treatment are using donated eggs from younger women.

(07 of10)

7. Having fathered a pregnancy in the past does not guarantee fertility. Sperm counts can change quite a bit with time, so never assume that a prior pregnancy guarantees fertile sperm. Obtaining a semen analysis is the only way to be sure the sperm are still healthy!

(08 of10)

8. For the most part, diet has little or nothing to do with fertility. Despite popular press, there is little scientific data showing that a particular diet or food promotes fertility. One limited study did suggest a Mediterranean diet with olive oil, fish and legumes may help promote fertility.

(09 of10)

9. Vitamin D may improve results of fertility treatments. A recent study from the University of Southern California suggested that women who were undergoing fertility treatments, but had low vitamin D levels, might have lower rates of conception. This vitamin is also essential during pregnancy. At Pacific Fertility Center, we recommend our patients take 2,000-4,000 IU per day.

(10 of10)

10. Being either underweight or overweight is clearly linked with lowered levels of fertility. The evidence in recent years is that obesity is clearly linked with a longer time to conception. Having a body mass index less than 18 or over 32 is associated with problems ovulating and conceiving, as well as problems during pregnancy.

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