 |
|
Canada's universal health care system should fund in-vitro fertilization
August 31, 2009Canada should extend universal health coverage to fund in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection, writes Dr. Renda Bouzayen, Division Head, Reproductive Endocrine and Infertility, Dalhousie University in an editorial http://www.cmaj.ca/press/cmaj091344.pdf with the CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) www.cmaj.ca editorial writing team.
For infertile couples in Canada, the cost of becoming pregnant is largely private but the public health care system bears the cost of caring for mother and children. Infertility treatments are expensive, with an average cost of $10,000 which can climb to $15,000 to $20,000 for women who require more medication to spur ovulation. Because of high costs, many couples choose to transfer multiple embryos, which can result in multiple births.
However, there are higher health risks for both mother and children with multiple gestational pregnancies. The mortality rate after birth is 4 times higher for twins and 6-9 times higher for triplets than singleton births. Complications such as cerebral palsy are 3-7 times more common in twins and 10 times more common in triplets.
"When those deaths and complications occur, it is the public health care system that bears the cost while the parents and children bear the grief," Dr. Bouzayen writes.
Quebec has recently introduced legislation to ensure the province's health insurance system will pay for in vitro fertilization. After Finland decided to fund single-embryo transfers, multiple births after in vitro decreased from 24% in 1996 to 14% in 2002 with an unchanged live birth rate.
Canada must do the same. A cooperative, coordinated approach across the country is needed to improve health for Canadian women attempting to conceive with in vitro fertilization and the children who are the fruits of this technology.
Canadian Medical Association Journal
"When those deaths and complications occur, it is the public health care system that bears the cost while the parents and children bear the grief," Dr. Bouzayen writes.
Quebec has recently introduced legislation to ensure the province's health insurance system will pay for in vitro fertilization. After Finland decided to fund single-embryo transfers, multiple births after in vitro decreased from 24% in 1996 to 14% in 2002 with an unchanged live birth rate.
Canada must do the same. A cooperative, coordinated approach across the country is needed to improve health for Canadian women attempting to conceive with in vitro fertilization and the children who are the fruits of this technology.
Canadian Medical Association Journal
In-vitro Fertilization Current Events and In-vitro Fertilization News RSSTiny injector to speed development of new, safer, cheaper drugs
It's no bigger than a stamp packet but it has the potential to allow rapid development of a new generation of drugs and genetic engineering organisms, and to better control in-vitro fertilization.
Accelerated Fertility Treatment Leads to Shortened Time to Pregnancy and Cost Savings
A major new trial recently published in the journal Fertility and Sterility shows that for couples beginning infertility treatments, an accelerated path to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) can offer a shorter time to pregnancy, cost savings of nearly $10,000, and a lowered risk of multiple births.
Late preterm births present serious risks to newborns
More than half a million babies are born preterm in the United States each year, and preterm births are on the rise. Late preterm births, or births that occur between 34 and 36 weeks (approximately 4 to 6 weeks before the mother's due date), account for more than 70% of preterm births.
Minimally invasive treatment improves male fertility
A minimally invasive treatment for a common cause of male infertility can significantly improve a couple's chances for pregnancy, according to a new study published in the August issue of Radiology.
In-vitro fertilization improved with 3-D/4-D-guided embryo transfer and new placement target
Beverly Hills, Calif. and Washington DC (ASRM Annual Meeting) - October 15, 2007 - The pregnancy rate for patients undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is improved when doctors use advanced 3D/4D imaging to guide the placement of embryos to the point where the endometrium is most receptive to implantation.
Study: Donated embryos could result in more than 2,000 new embryonic stem cell lines
In a survey of more than one thousand infertility patients with frozen embryos, 60 percent of patients report that they are likely to donate their embryos to stem cell research.
Procedure predicts embryos most likely to result in pregnancy
To address the high rate of multiple births resulting from in-vitro-fertilization (IVF), researchers at Yale School of Medicine and McGill University have developed a procedure that estimates the reproductive potential of individual embryos, possibly leading to a decrease in multiple-infant births and a higher success rate in women undergoing IVF.
Ultrasound could help couples undergoing IVF
Ultrasound-based tests allowing women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) to count their chickens before they've hatched may provide alternatives to the hormone-based tests used today. Less costly and invasive than the current ovarian reserve tests, clinicians may in future consider using ultrasound scans of a woman's ovaries to predict her ovaries' response to IVF.
New fertility guidelines limit embryo transfers
The March of Dimes applauds new fertility treatment guidelines from the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) calling for a limited number of embryos - in some cases only one - to be transferred during in-vitro fertilization procedures.
Is there a risk of transmitting genetic disorders to babies conceived by fertility procedures?
As medical technology continues to advance, fertility procedures such as in-vitro fertilization and donor insemination are becoming more commonplace.
More In-vitro Fertilization Current Events and In-vitro Fertilization News Articles
 |
In Vitro Fertilization: The A.R.T. Of Making Babies by Geoffrey Sher (Author), Virginia Marriage Davis (Author), Jean Stoess (Author) Approximately four million couples in the U.S. face infertility. For about 25 percent of them, in vitro fertilization is the best option for conception, yet many couples remain uninformed about the procedure. Written by one of the top in vitro specialists in the country, In Vitro Fertilization, Third Edition presents a clearly written, complete guide to alternative means of conception. Now thoroughly updated and revised, this book discusses everything one needs to know about IVF, including how to find and choose the best in vitro programs, what to expect as you go through the process, and what your chances are of achieving a successful pregnancy. Designed to prepare couples for the complex and emotional process of IVF, this new edition provides readers with the most accurate and current... |
 |
The Couple's Guide to In Vitro Fertilization: Everything You Need to Know to Maximize Your Chances of Success by Liza Charlesworth (Author) A wise and compassionate guide to getting successfully through one of the most expensive and stressful fertility treatments. Despite the fact that it is an expensive, complex, emotionally draining, and often last-ditch fertility treatment, there are now over 250,000 couples who consider in vitro fertilization (IVF) every year; more than 125,000 couples decide to undergo it. While dry, clinical information is available, there is a gaping need for sisterly advice from someone who's been through the process herself. From evaluating care and preparing for the complicated process to understanding egg retrieval and embryo transfer; from tips on taking medications and coping with hormonal surges to dealing with the emotional aspects of the grueling IVF process, Liza Charlesworth's The... |
 |
In Vitro Fertilization: A Practical Approach by David K. Gardner (Editor) Supplying a comprehensive and hands-on approach to in vitro fertilization (IVF), this source presents established state-of-the-art procedures and techniques, as well as the most current research in the field. Expert contributors explore the history of IVF and progress to future research pathways. Additional coverage includes preimplantation genetic diagnosis, oocyte retrieval, oocyte donation, and micromanipulation procedures such as ICSI, assisted hatching, and embryo biopsy. |
 |
Conceptions & Misconceptions: The Informed Consumer's Guide Through the Maze of in Vitro Fertilization & Assisted Reproduction Techniques(Revised & Expanded 2nd Edition) by M.D. Arthur Wisot (Author), David Meldrum (Author) Fully updated to include the latest scientific advancements, Conceptions and Misconceptions is a guided tour through the complex world of infertility treatments and clinics. Respected fertility specialists provide valuable knowledge to consumers about the proper diagnosis and treatment of infertility problems. They explore basic fertility enhancement methods, alternative treatments, and guide the reader through assisted reproduction techniques. This book helps demystify the "alphabet soup" of assisted reproduction. A new chapter explores alternative infertility treatments, including Chinese medicine, and the authors also provide tips for evaluating infertility programs. |
 |
Technostorks: A Documentary on Infertility and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Directed By: Andrei Kirilenko Technostorks documents the true life stories of three couples - Joann and Sean, Nora and Eric, and Wendy and Rodney as they go through infertility and in-vitro fertilization. It is the first IVF cycle for Sean and Joann, the second for Wendy and Rodney, and the fourth, and most likely the last, cycle for Nora and Eric. Technostorks documents the couples' most private moments, showing images never before seen on the screen. We follow couples into the operating room to witness egg retrievals and embryo transfers, hear their views on living with infertility, spirituality, and parenthood, and learn with them the outcomes of their IVF cycles. Throughout the film, top experts explain the technological, psychological, and spiritual aspects of assisted reproduction. In the end, not all of our... |
 |
Pregnancy Wishes & IVF Dreams: A Story & Lessons About Life, Love & Infertility by Kelley R. Taylor (Author) Once upon a time, equipped with a solid marriage, driven careers, and a recently finished basement, my husband and I were ready to start a family. Like many 30-something couples, we thought it would be easy. Unfortunately, after nearly 18 months of doing things "the old fashioned way," my husband was diagnosed with a latent birth defect. It rendered us virtually infertile, not to mention devastated and confused. The remarkable thing about confusion is that it can spur knowledge and strength. Infertility did just that for us. We moved forward to try to have a child with the help of science and technology. Before we could blink, we were in the midst of monumental efforts to finance our baby-making venture, ordering medications on the Internet, and undergoing multiple,... |
 |
In Vitro Fertilization by Kay Elder (Author), Brian Dale (Author) Updated and expanded by nearly fifty percent, this comprehensive new edition builds on its successful and popular predecessor, while retaining the practical features that made the first edition such an essential guide to IVF. The new edition describes the most recent additions to the range of current assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinical treatments, including the use of testicular and epididymal sperm, blastocyst stage transfer, and new perspectives in cryobiology and cryopreservation techniques. The authors have incorporated the very latest laboratory techniques and protocols, with an even greater emphasis on quality control to provide an indispensable and practical account of the latest IVF techniques. The introductory chapters covering the scientific background that underpins... |
 |
Imagery and Meditations to Support In-Vitro Fertilization by Jennifer R. Bloome MS OTR HWC This Guided Imagery CD is designed to support you during your journey to pregnancy. The imagery contained within this recording is structured to complement an In Vitro Fertilization Cycle. The recording contains specific tracks for use prior to retrieval, post-transfer, and general relaxation. The imagery makes use of the body/mind connection to help augment your body's natural abilities at each stage of your cycle as well as providing a long-term sense of peace, control and confidence. |
 |
IVF: The Wayward Stork--What to Expect, Who to Expect It From, and Surviving It All? by Lea L McCarthy (Author), Sarah A Tursi MSW (Contributor) We understand how difficult it is to see this book and need it. Every needle phobic, financially draining, hormone raged aspect of it. We get it and we’re here to help you though it. From two strong women who have endured numerous miscarriages, faced their fear of invasive tests and injections, and coped with the great possibility of cycle failure comes a must-have resource for anyone dealing with infertility. Authors Sarah Tursi, M.S.W. and Lea McCarthy will help you navigate this emotional journey with your sanity still intact. Discover how to alleviate the mystery and fear that is often associated with in vitro fertilization (IVF). Learn the tricks necessary to cope with treatment, overcome apprehension associated with needles and tests, and engage your support network... |
 |
In Vitro Fertilization Book Set: Making Miracles Kids Story Book + IVF telling a Child: Where? How? When? Why? If? (Assisted reproduction and infertility issues) Use these two simple paperback books to begin opening up about in vitro fertilization conception with children. Making Miracles tells a wonderful story of a boy who assists a frog with making her babies. Later, he learns his family had assistance as well from a doctor. IVF: telling a Child is a research booklet of survey results that will give parents ideas of issues to consider before beginning the discussion with their child. |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |