IVF, or In Vitro Fertilisation, is a technique used to help couples with fertility problems have a child. The process works by surgically implanting an egg, which has been fertilised in a laboratory, into the woman’s womb for it to grow. The success rate of this procedure is low, but it has helped many couples enjoy the joys of parenthood. However, for those who are unsuccessful it can be both physically and emotionally draining. The NHS outlines that women under 40 should be offered three cycles of this treatment if they have been trying to get pregnant through regular unprotected sex for at least two years, or if they’ve not been able to get pregnant after 12 cycles of artificial insemination. For women aged between 40 and 42, there should be an offer of one cycle of IVF but only on the condition that all of the following criteria are met – that they’ve been trying to get pregnant for two years or have not been able to get pregnant after 12 cycles of artificial insemination, that they’ve never had IVF before, that they show no evidence of a low ovarian reserve, and that they’ve been informed of the complications associated with IVF at this stage of life. Of course, the success rate is determined on a number of factors – namely the age of the women receiving the treatment, and the cause of her infertility if it is known. It’s not advised that women over the age of 42 get this treatment, as the chances of a successful IVF course are extremely low.
A new study has been carried out by researchers at the Marques Institute fertility clinic in Barcelona, which involved injecting sperm into 1,000 eggs and put them into dishes in incubators. Researchers then placed iPods in half of the incubators, playing pop songs by artists such as Madonna and Michael Jackson, rock songs by Nirvana, and classical tracks by Bach, Mozart and Vivaldi. When the fertilisation was checked, it was discovered that those which had been exposed to music had a higher rate of fertilisation. The incubators mimicked the conditions in the womb in terms of light and temperature. Though embryos don’t develop the ability to hear for a minimum of 14 weeks after fertilisation, researchers carrying out the study suggest that the vibrations could be key to assisting the process. There could be some scientific fact associated with the success rate though – while IVF involves the fertilisation occurring in a dish, when it happens naturally there is a lot of movement from the journey through the fallopian tubes. As such, the vibrations caused by music could help to recreate some of this movement which could help improve the success rate by as much as 5 percent.
Studies show that the success rate of IVF drops significantly as women age. In 2010, the percentage of treatments which resulted in a live birth were 32.2 percent for women under 35. However, this dropped to over 27 percent for ages 35 to 37. By the age of 40, the success rate drops to 13.6 percent, and for women over the age of 44, there is just a 1.9 percent of success. This is a difficult procedure in terms of the effect it has on couples and your emotional health. However, for many, it is the most effective route towards having a child. This recent study is in its early stages but offers a potential way of increasing the success rate of IVF treatments. Studies are constantly taking place in order to seek out new ways for couples to have children if they have infertility issues.
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