Researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine say a new method can better predict the quality of embryos used for in vitro fertilization, potentially raising the odds of a successful pregnancy for those relying on assisted reproductive technology.
For people struggling with infertility, IVF — which involves retrieving eggs and fertilizing them in the lab before implanting embryos in the uterus — often provides hope. But the process can be draining, at times requiring people to undergo multiple rounds of treatment.
“This is often a really trying experience, where we often say: ‘We don’t know why an embryo is good. We don’t know why an embryo doesn’t result in a baby.’ And we can’t know why until we better understand what’s happening in the embryo,” said H. Irene Su, one of the senior scientists involved in the study, who works as a professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine and as a reproductive endocrinologist and epidemiologist at UC San Diego Health.
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