BACKGROUND The incidence rates of anterior neural tube defects, anencephaly and encephalocele appear increased among twins compared with singletons. The current study aimed to evaluate whether the etiology of this phenomenon is related to twinning, assisted reproductive technology (ART), or both. METHODS The study cohort consisted of parturient women who were referred to our ultrasonography u...

Three cases of upper limb deep venous thrombosis occurring in association with assisted conception treatment are presented. The accepted argument that lower limb thrombosis occurring in cases of complicated or severe hyperstimulation syndrome represents the likeliest thrombo-embolic disorder in this situation is questioned.

The traditional semen analysis is a cornerstone in diagnosis and treatment of male fertility (World Health Organisation (WHO), 1999, 2010). The sperm parameters concentration, motility and morphology are, however, claimed to be poor predictors of a male ́s fertility status, this in natural conception (Bonde et al., 1998; Guzick et al., 2001) as well as in assisted reproductive techniques (ART) (...

17 Introduction 18 Ovarian stimulation 20 In vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) 23 Immature sperm conception 25 Egg donation and surrogacy 28 Oocyte maturation 28 Embryo culture 30 Assisted hatching 31 Cryopreservation 32 Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) 34 Cytoplasmic donation and mitochondrial DNA (mDNA) transfer 37 Fertility preservation 39 Conclusion 41

From the Institute of Child Health, University College London (C.L.W., B.J.B., A.G.S.), and the Reproductive Medicine Unit, University College London Hospitals (M.D.), London; the Childhood Cancer Research Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford (K.J.B., C.A.S., M.F.G.M.); and the Paediatric Oncology Department, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, University of Edinburgh, E...

Ovarian reserve (OR) screening of the general population is generally not advocated as it has not been conclusively established to reflect immediate potential for natural conception, while it may also potentially create anxiety for women. However, in this paper, we argue in support of screening of the general population for diminished OR. First, OR tests such as measurements of anti-Müllerian h...

Sperm DNA damage affects the conception rate resulting from human assisted reproduction technology. The objective of this study was to adapt the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay to provide a quality parameter for bull semen based on the detection of sperm DNA damage. Fresh semen was collected from two Japanese Black bulls (A, B) several times o...

Based on results from a survey study in a sample of Australian parents of twins, Raj and Morley (2007) reported that questions concerning the mode of conception of twins may be offensive to parents. We looked at the willingness to reply to questions about mode of conception of twin pregnancies in a large survey study that was completed by 20,150 mothers of twins from the Netherlands Twin Regist...

AIM To review trends in multiple births and associated mortality in England and Wales since 1975, in the light of trends for earlier years; to assess, within the limitations of the available data, the extent of any association between multiple birth rates and assisted conception and drugs used for subfertility. METHODS Data collected routinely in England and Wales, between 1975 and 1994, were...

OBJECTIVES To describe the characteristics, management and outcomes of women giving birth at advanced maternal age (≥48 years). DESIGN Population-based cohort study using the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS). SETTING All UK hospitals with obstetrician-led maternity units. POPULATION Women delivering at advanced maternal age (≥48 years) in the UK between July 2013 and June 2014 (n ...