As the woman’s eggs and the man’s sperm are fertilized in a Petri dish, IVF literally means “fertilization in glass.” Using fertility medicines, a patient’s natural cycle is carefully regulated during the IVF process. These drugs cause the ovaries to generate a large number of mature eggs instead of only one. The eggs are extracted from the ovaries at the appropriate moment. The guy provides a sperm sample at this time (or a stored, frozen sample is used). The fertilized eggs and sperm are placed in a Petri dish. The embryos are implanted into the woman’s uterus at the appropriate moment.
In this article, Dr. Hrishikesh Pai who is working with one of the best IVF centres in India will answer a few of the most asked questions regarding IVF treatment.
When is In Vitro Fertilization necessary?
IVF is the method of choice for those with fallopian tube difficulties, as well as for disorders including endometriosis, male factor infertility, and unexplained infertility, because it bypasses the fallopian tubes (it was originally created for women with blocked or absent fallopian tubes). A physician can look over a patient’s medical history and advise them on using the In Vitro Fertilization method.
Are there any risks in having a child through IVF?
“While some data indicate that IVF-conceived children have a little greater rate of birth abnormalities than the general population (4 to 5% vs. 3%), it’s conceivable that this difference is attributable to factors other than IVF treatment.”- Says Dr. Hrishikesh Pai who is one of the best IVF specialists in India.
It’s vital to remember that birth defects affect roughly 3% of all births in the general population for significant deformities and 6% if lesser problems are included. According to recent studies, the rate of significant birth abnormalities in IVF-conceived offspring could be in the range of 4 to 5%. This slightly higher proportion of abnormalities has also been found in children born following IVF and naturally-conceived siblings of IVF children, suggesting that the risk factor is endemic to this patient population rather than the method used to produce conception.
According to research, IVF-conceived children perform on par with the general population in terms of academic success, as well as behavioral and psychological health. More research is being conducted to learn more about this critical subject.
Are there any long-term health hazards associated with fertility hormones?
Women who have never had children appear to have a somewhat higher risk of ovarian cancer than the overall population (about 1.6 times the rate). Because many of these women are thought to have taken reproductive medicines, it has been postulated that there is a relation between reproductive medicines and this malignancy. Since 1992, when this issue was initially raised, a number of studies have been done. None of the studies have identified a link between fertility medicines and an increased risk of ovarian cancer, or between IVF treatment and an increased risk of ovarian cancer. According to preliminary findings from a National Institutes of Health study, there is no link between fertility medicines and ovarian, uterine, or breast cancer.
It’s possible that this link isn’t attributable to the usage of fertility drugs, but rather to the fact that this group of women has never given birth. According to research from the National Institutes of Health, pregnancy or some aspect of the reproductive process may protect against ovarian cancer directly.
Is it uncomfortable to have IVF injections?
It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the prospect of regular injections. While injections are an unavoidable part of IVF therapy, we’ve planned our drug regimens and injection types to minimize discomfort and stress, and our nurses will carefully advise and assist each patient throughout the procedure. Medications that used to be injected into the muscle are now administered through a tiny injection under the skin (subcutaneous).
The injections are usually given over a 10- to 12-day period, followed by a single intramuscular injection of hCG, a hormone that induces ovulation, at the end of the stimulation cycle. The hCG injection, which was previously exclusively accessible in an intramuscular form, is now accessible in a subcutaneous form (Ovidrel) for people who prefer not to get it intramuscularly. Ovidrel’s recombinant subcutaneous form of hCG hasn’t been around as long as intramuscular hCG, but all signs suggest that it’s just as successful.
Patients are given a progesterone hormone supplement after egg retrieval to prepare the uterine lining for embryo transfer. Instead of an injection, most people can take progesterone as a vaginal pill or vaginal suppository. Injections could be avoided totally during the second part of the IVF cycle in this way. Progesterone suppositories and vaginal pills have been shown to be equally effective as progesterone injections.