BASKING RIDGE, N.J.,
Oct. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- RMA,
the nation's most research-focused fertility network, has released
a trio of watershed studies that spotlight the industry's dramatic
achievements in safety and success, and give those struggling to
conceive around the world reason to not only be hopeful – but
confident – they can achieve their parenting dreams.
The research, unveiled at the annual meeting of the American
Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) in Philadelphia, charts the arc of the In Vitro
Fertilization (IVF) patient journey, and offers optimism at every
major point in care – from genetic testing, to implantation to
birth.
- First, a non-selection study proved that an embryo genetic test
that identifies abnormal embryos was accurate, giving patients
peace of mind they are not discarding normal embryos.
- Second, a study into implantation rates found that women with
three normal embryos have a 95% chance of pregnancy, giving
patients optimism about their success with normal embryos.
- And third, a retrospective birthweight study found that IVF
babies are now born with the same weight as babies conceived
without the procedure, a historic victory that gives patients trust
in the evolution and safety of IVF.
"Taken together, these studies point to just how far the
industry has come," said RMA founding partner Dr. Richard Scott. "They show that genetic testing
works, that euploid, or normal, embryos have a high chance of
leading to pregnancy, and that IVF babies are now born with weights
that support healthy development."
"This is a big moment for anyone who has ever wondered whether
they could have a family – the odds have never been more in their
favor."
The birthweight study, led by RMA second-year fellow Dr.
Julia Kim, tracked RMA's IVF birth
weights from 2000 to 2017 and found a steady increase over time
that in 2017 reached parity with babies born without IVF. Of all
the babies born to mothers that received IVF in 2017, only 10.7%
were born with a low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams), RMA
found, compared with 8.3% of babies conceived naturally, according
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The study on implantation, led by Dr. Paul Pirtea, found that women who have three
chromosomally-normal embryos as a result of IVF have a 94.9% chance
of achieving pregnancy. Implantation, or pregnancy, rates were
highest for the first transfer of a euploid embryo: it stood at
69.4%. Implantation rates for the second euploid transfer were
59.3% and for the third, 59.2%.
The non-selection study, led by RMA third-year fellow Dr.
Ashley Tiegs, found that Next
Generation Sequencing (NGS)-based genetic testing of embryos, known
as PGT-A, correctly identifies abnormal embryos that have little
chance of leading to a viable pregnancy, with all 50 embryos
diagnosed abnormal by the testing platform having either failed to
implant or led to miscarriages following transfer. The research is
ongoing, aiming to collect data from 600 couples.
Researchers from RMA's sister clinics at IVI also submitted
several significant studies to ASRM, adding to the optimistic work
stemming from the IVIRMA Global family. Dr. Marcos Meseguer from IVI Valencia, in
Spain, led a groundbreaking study
on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to determine embryos
likely to result in a live birth, and found that AI was 96%
effective in predicting success. Dr. Marga Esbert from IVI
Barcelona led research that found immature female eggs, usually
discarded following egg retrieval because they were thought to lead
to abnormal embryos, can be matured in the lab – and don't have
higher aneuploidy rates than eggs mature at the time of retrieval.
Dr. Ana Corachan, from the IVI
Foundation, found that long-term Vitamin D treatment reduced the
size of benign uterine tumors called leiomyomas. And Dr.
Nuria Pellicer, from IVI Valencia,
found that, when women who had previously responded poorly to IVF
had bone marrow stem cells injected into their ovarian artery,
their blood proteins began to express differently – proteins
associated with aging were downgraded, and those responsible for
anti-aging upgraded.
The above studies are part of dozens of pieces of research RMA
presents at ASRM as the practice marks its 20th
anniversary this year. Since founding October 1, 1999, RMA has helped bring more than
40,000 babies to loving families, and continues to be the leading
investor of IVF research in the U.S.
About Reproductive Medicine Associates (RMA)
RMA is the U.S.-based network of fertility clinics that are part
of IVIRMA Global. Founded in 2017 when the Valencian Infertility
Institute (IVI) merged with RMA, IVIRMA Global comprises the
largest group dedicated to assisted reproduction in the world.
IVIRMA Global currently has more than 70 centers in 11 countries
with clinics in the United States,
Spain, Portugal, Italy, United
Kingdom, Panama,
Argentina, Chile, Brazil
and the UAE. Self-funded research, a fundamental pillar of the
organization, supports the group's high success rates around the
world.
To learn more about RMA, visit www.rmanetwork.com.
CONTACT: Olesia Plokhii, (617)
997-8779, oplokhii@ivirma.com
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SOURCE Reproductive Medicine Associates