New IVF Method Much Cheaper & More Efficient

The new IVF method is much cheaper than the traditional one and is even more effective. It was originally developed for the world’s poorest countries, but the experts hope that the technique will spread in developed countries.

Childless parents, who fail to conceive a child naturally, sometimes spend thousands of dollars on IVF. However, there is a simplified procedure with the use of the equipment that can be folded into a shoebox. Its cost is about $300, which is incomparably lower than the cost of the traditional method of in vitro fertilization.

According to an expert in the treatment of infertility Jonathan Van Blerkom, science can create exactly the same conditions as in the incubators worth $60,000 with the use of two simple tubes and special solutions. One tube contains a solution with carbon dioxide, which is an ideal environment for fertilization. The solution is then placed in the second vial where one oocyte and several thousand sperm cells are added. During the last stage, it is all locked in a special high-temperature unit.

After about 2-3 days, all formed embryos are examined under a microscope before putting them into the woman’s uterus. According to Dr. Van Blerkom, this technique could help up to 50 % of all people who come to clinic in order to treat infertility. However, more serious problems with the sperm or an insufficient number of eggs are the reasons to apply for the more traditional method of IVF.

During the clinical trials in Belgium, the researchers compared the two methods. Half of the women, less than 36 years old, had undergone the traditional IVF and half of them tried the new experimental method. The specialist, who did not know about the technology that was being used, selected the most viable embryos. Successful impregnation was observed in 34% of women in both groups. So far, 14 children were born to the women who had undergone the simplified IVF procedure, while 13 women had children after using the traditional method.