In-vitro fertilisation : “glue” to increase the chances of fixing the embryo

Publié le 23 Oct, 2014

 

According to the Daily Mail newspaper, a British couple managed to have a baby after 15 years by using a new in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) technique: “embryoglu” or “colle embryonnaire” in French. Developed by a specialist English clinic, Care Fertility, this technique involves “applying a substance that acts like glue to the embryo in order to increase its chances of attaching to the walls of the uterus“. 

 

The couple underwent IVF treatment in December 2012 on completion of which three embryos were created with the mother’s oocytes and the father’s sperm. In July 2013, just one embryo was implanted “one hour after being immersed in a substance essentially comprising a strong concentration of hyaluronic acid*” and nutrients such as albumin. The aim of the latter is to provide nutrients for the foetus from transfer through to implantation. According to the clinic, this technique allegedly increases the risk of pregnancy by 8%.

 

A healthy baby was delivered in March 2014. However, the mother did not have a straightforward pregnancy. She was admitted to hospital twice due to bleeding, at 9 and 36 weeks, respectively.

 

* Hyaluronic acid is an “acid that is naturally present in the ovaries and uterus“. It “increases spontaneously […] to boost embryo adherence“. 

Bfmtv.com (Aurélie Delmas) 23/10/2014 – sciencesetavenir.fr (Lise Loumé) 23/10/2014

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