New Method Can Help Infertile Women Have Babies

Infertile women have a ray of hope now. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine along with Japanese scientists have developed a new method to treat infertility.

The researchers conducted a trial on 27 infertile women. The researchers have developed the  technique "in vitro activation" (IVA), which  involves removing the ovary or a part of it and treating it outside the women's body. Then they implant the ovary back near the fallopian tubes. Then the patient is given hormones to fuel the growth of follicles in the ovary.  

 "Women with primary ovarian insufficiency enter menopause quite early in life, before they turn 40," said Aaron Hsueh, PhD, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford and senior author of the study, according to a news release. "Previous research has suggested that these women still have very tiny, primordial primary and secondary follicles, and that even though they are no longer having menstrual cycles they may still be treatable. Our results obtained with our clinical collaborators in Japan make us hopeful that this is a group of patients who can be helped."

The technique has already helped two infertile women in the study. The researchers reported that a woman who underwent the procedure (IVA) delivered a baby boy. She had stopped menstruating at the age of 25.  

The researchers removed six possible eggs that she produced after the treatment and mixed it with sperms from her husband, producing four healthy embryos. Two of these embryos were transferred into her uterus. A healthy baby boy was delivered  37 weeks and 2 days later and weighing 7 pounds, reports the Los Angeles Times..

"There will be further improvement of the process," Hsueh told The Los Angeles Times. "Right now, we are just very lucky to have the initial advance. We hope the procedure will be used by many people."

"It has to be improved to figure out the best way to do it, but we estimate it could help 25 to 30 percent of the women. We think it could help in two other forms of infertility. Cancer survivors after chemotherapy or radiotherapy; if there's any follicles left there's a chance this will help. And also women aged 40 to 45 with an irregular menstrual cycle," said Hsueh to BBC.