Pride Angel

Thousands of infertile couples could benefit from a new IVF procedure that can dramatically improve the success rate of having a baby through artificial reproduction.

Scientists believe they can double or even triple the proportion of healthy babies born as a result fertility treatment with a relatively simple technique that takes a series of time-lapse photographs of the developing IVF embryos.

On average only about 24 per cent of IVF embryos implanted into women in the UK lead to live births but the researchers believe this could be increased to 78 per cent using the new technique for selecting the best embryos.

I believe it is the most exciting breakthrough we've had in probably 30 years,” said Professor Simon Fishel, managing director of the CARE Fertility Group, where the technique was developed.

“Every IVF practice in the world is unintentionally and unwittingly putting back into the womb unviable embryos that don't make babies,” Professor Fishel said. “We hope to see a paradigm shift in terms of IVF. It's a game changer for everybody to have such an uplift in live birth rates. This is the beginning of something revelatory,” he said

Each year, licensed clinics in Britain carry out about 60,000 IVF treatments but most of them end in failure, causing immense emotional upset to couples, many of whom have paid between £5,000 and £10,000 for each treatment cycle.

The new procedure, which costs £750, identifies the best embryos to be implanted into the womb based on the time it has taken to develop between two key stages in the early life-cycle of the embryo.

Thousands of time-lapse pictures are taken during the first few days of an IVF embryo's life and these are used to identify the time between the first appearance of the fluid-filled cavity, called the blastula, and the final moment before the embryo “hatches” from its protective shell.

Scientists have discovered that when this period lasts longer than about six hours, the IVF embryo is likely to be carrying an abnormal number of chromosomes, called aneuploidy, which will lead to a failure of the pregnancy.

A preliminary study, published in the journal Reproductive Medicine Online and based on a retrospective analysis of 88 IVF embryos of 69 couples, found that the time-lapse technique could have improved the success rate of life births in this particular group of patients from 39 per cent to 61 per cent.

Even better success rates can be expected once the procedure is refined and applied to the wider population of infertile couples seeking IVF treatment, Professor Fishel said.

“Our work has shown that we can easily classify embryos into low or high risk of being chromosomally abnormal. This is important because in itself this is the largest single cause of IVF failure and miscarriage,” he said. “The beauty of this technology is that the information is provided by a non-invasive process. So far we have seen a 56 per cent uplift compared to conventional technology, giving our patients the equivalent to a 78 per cent live-birth rate,” he added.

Normally, IVF embryos in an incubator are checked manually each day by embryologists but the time-lapse cameras are able to do this automatically by taking pictures every 10 minutes without interfering with embryo development, said Alison Campbell, embryology director at Care Fertility in Nottingham, who developed the computer algorithm controlling the analysis.

“With time-lapse we have the ability to view more than 5,000 images over the same time period to observe and measure more closely each stage of division and growth. As a result of continuous monitoring we have demonstrated that delays at defined points indicate abnormal development,” Ms Campbell said.

Martin Johnson, a fertility expert and editor of the journal where the work is published, said further “prospective” studies comparing the technique to existing methods of embryo selection are still needed before the procedure is recommended as standard treatment. “There are caveats with this research….and for these reasons we have to be cautious,” he said.

Sue Avery, director of Birmingham Women's Fertility Centre, said: “Unfortunately the study does not compare this exciting new approach with standard practise in embryology in which embryologists already look for the best embryos to place in the womb. Until the new technique is compared to current practise we cannot know whether different embryos are being chosen.”

Egg timing: Key stages

The developing embryo (image one, above) goes through two key stages when the fluid-filled cavity or “blastula” first forms (image two) and when the blastula is fully formed before the embryo “hatches” (image three).

The time between the two is used to judge whether the embryo is viable, with no defects in chromosome numbers. If the period is longer than six hours, the embryo is at high risk of abnormal chromosomes, which will inevitably lead to complications. Time-lapse photographs can indicate which embryos have a shorter time-period between these two points, and so which embryos are best for implantation into the womb.

Article: 17th May 2013 www.independent.co.uk

Read more about IVF and alternatives to IVF at www.prideangel.com

Jayne Torvill has spoken out about her difficult and heartbreaking experience of trying to conceive by IVF.

Despite improvements in IVF success rates, Jayne revealed how her desperation to become a mum took over her life before she came to the decision to adopt.

Jayne, 55, half of the super skating duo Torvill and Dean, broke down on Piers Morgan's Life Stories as she spoke for the first time about her trials to get pregnant and how an ectopic pregnancy left her devastated.

And with Anna Friel, 36, admitting she's looking into freezing her eggs for when boyfriend Rhys Ifans is ready to become a dad, we looked at what you need to know about your fertility now.

IVF success rates

The latest figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) show that around 25 per cent of IVF cycles using a woman's own, fresh eggs, result in a live baby at the end.

However, success rates are clearly related to age. Women aged 35-37 have a success rate of 32.3 per cent but this decreases with each age group beyond 37.

27.7% for women aged 35-37
20.8% for women aged 38-39
13.6% for women aged 40-42
5.0% for women aged 43-44
1.9% for women aged 45+

For frozen egg (which is what Anna Friel is talking about), success rates were similar for each age group but slightly less successful overall, with around 22 per cent of cycles ending up with a live baby.

Though Anna blithely said she would freeze her eggs, it's not quite as simple as that. Though the actress is more likely than most potential mums to be able to afford several rounds of IVF, the impact on your body and emotions is huge and shouldn't be taken lightly.

Read more...

Read more about IVF and alternatives to IVF at www.prideangel.com

The mother of the first babies born in Britain using a pioneering drug-free fertility treatment has spoken exclusively to The Independent on Sunday to urge others to follow in her footsteps. Tina Milkovic, 34, a project manager from Oxford, lifted a media blackout on her family to offer hope to thousands of women who may have abandoned their dream of having a child.

Mrs Milkovic and her husband, Joe, 48, an administrator at Oxford University, became the first Britons to conceive using IVM – in vitro maturation – a technique that involves removing eggs from a mother's ovaries and maturing them in a laboratory.

The family initially wished the twins to remain anonymous, only releasing pictures of the boy and girl, but not their names. But as Ilya and Isabella celebrated their fifth birthday last week, their parents decided to talk about their treatment and encourage others to use IVM, a safer alternative to IVF for the millions of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). IVF can be fatal for these women if they react badly to the drugs used during IVF treatment to stimulate the ovaries.

The couple's decision to speak out, and the success their twins represent, will provide a big boost for IVM. Rachel Hawkes, chair of the PCOS charity Verity, said: "A safer treatment could be a help to many women with PCOS. It could be a viable option for thousands of women. One in 10 women have PCOS and around 40 per cent will need assisted conception."

IVF uses high does of fertility drugs to mature eggs within the ovaries' follicles, later taking them out to be fertilised with sperm. In IVM, immature eggs are collected from unstimulated ovaries and then matured in a laboratory for up to 48 hours before being fertilised.

Mrs Milkovic said: "We were trying [to have children] for two years, but, with me having PCOS, we always knew there was a slim chance of falling pregnant naturally. I was already going down the IVF route. We'd bought the drugs and were all set to start treatment, but in the back of our minds was always the risk with IVF for women with polycystic ovaries. I had read about IVM, but it was new and, I thought, not available in the UK.

"The night before we were due to start IVF, we just Googled IVM and, by chance, our consultant's name, Tim Child, came up saying he'd just been licensed for it. We decided to call him the next morning to see if it was an option. It feels like fate. I just happened to Google it that night and there in front of me it said the UK had just been granted its licence.

"I don't think any of us expected the pregnancy to happen because it was the first cycle. Two weeks afterwards, I was asked to go back in. I had some bleeding so I was convinced it hadn't worked. Then, when he checked the scan, I could see he was excited and he said we had twins. We were in shock. I remember sitting in the car in the car park and thinking, 'My God, it's worked'.

"When the twins were born, I asked to remain anonymous so I could bond with them. The pregnancy went fantastically and the babies were a really good weight." Last month, the pair started at school. "I'm so proud of them," she said. "They have an amazing bond together. Ilya is very sporty, he loves football and tennis; and Isabella is a very girly girl, she does ballet and likes fairies and things like that."

Though they don't appear any different, the twins do have an inkling of their special status. "On the internet, if you type 'IVM twins' on Google, a photo of them that comes up," their mother explains. "They love seeing themselves and say, 'Oh, that's me'." Mrs Milkovic said she feels lucky she didn't try IVF, "I'm so glad I didn't have to take that risk. I imagine there are lots of women out there who don't know that IVM is available in the UK. It's really important for this to get out so women can know."

According to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, a relatively small number of patients have had IVM because the treatment is still in its early stages and is not offered widely.

Dr Child, the Milkovics's gynaecologist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, who pioneered the treatment in the UK after it had been used only a handful of times in countries such as South Korea and Canada, said IVF is risky for those with PCOS. "Women who have ovaries that look polycystic on a scan, which is about 25 per cent of women at reproductive age, are at a greater risk from ovarian hyperstimulation. It has been fatal. It's hard to say how many [have died] because it's under-reported, but in general, women who undergo ovarian hyperstimulation can develop abdominal pain and bloating and are at increased risk of blood clotting. About 1 per cent who use IVF could end up in hospital because of it."

Many women with PCOS still take the risk with IVF because the chances of becoming pregnant are higher. "We've done 180 IVM cycles since we started five years ago and we've really been the only clinic doing it," said Dr Child. "In that same time we've done about 8,000 IVF cycles, which is driven by the patients. From their point of view, because their main driver is getting pregnant, they tend to choose IVF as the chances of conceiving are higher."

IVM costs around £2,100 per cycle compared with around £4,000 for IVF, but it is only half as effective.

How IVM offers hope

In vitro maturation (IVM) is a safer fertility treatment for women who have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). When undergoing other fertility treatments, women with PCOS are at an increased risk of their ovaries becoming hyperstimulated by the drugs used to help eggs reach maturity before fertilisation.

IVM takes eggs from the ovaries earlier than IVF and matures them in a laboratory, thus cutting out the need for fertility drugs. Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, a side effect of IVF for some patients with PCOS, can cause bloating, blood-clotting and, in some cases, it can be fatal.

IVM is most suitable for women under 38 with polycystic ovary syndrome. IVM is cheaper than IVF because it does not require drugs, but its success rate is currently a little over half that of IVF.

Article: 21st October 2012 www.independent.co.uk

Read more about alternatives to IVF at www.prideangel.com

Over two million American couples are having problems getting pregnant.[1] The standard treatment which can help these couples conceive is in-vitro fertilization (IVF). IVF can change lives but can also be very emotionally, physically and financially draining.

The DuoFertility programme is a highly effective method to help couples conceive. The programme is totally non-invasive and drug free, yet published studies have shown a pregnancy rate similar to that of a cycle of IVF after just six months of use[2].

It uses a revolutionary sensor to monitor a woman’s body 24 hours a day, indicating the couple’s most fertile days, giving couples the very best chance of getting pregnant. Fertility experts review the data with the couples regularly to provide feedback.

Studies have shown that DuoFertility can help 8 out of 10 infertile couples, including half of all those seeking invasive clinical procedures such as IVF2. DuoFertility has helped hundreds of couples get pregnant in Europe. Now that same help is available to American couples for $795.

In the US, a single cycle of IVF will cost on average $15,000 to the couple and is rarely covered by health insurance, leaving many American couples struggling to afford fertility treatment. At one-twentieth the cost of a single cycle of IVF, DuoFertility has the potential to help millions of American couples to turn their dreams of a family into reality.

To find out if DuoFertility can help you get pregnant, you can use the DuoFertility suitability tool here.

You can purchase DuoFertility, which is FDA cleared, from the US on the DuoFertility website or the Pride Angel website.

[1] Centers for Disease Control and Preventio (CDC) :http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/fertile.htm
[2] Chausiaux et al., “Pregnancy Prognosis in Infertile Couples on the DuoFertility Programme Compared with In Vitro Fertilisation/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection”, European Obstetrics & Gynaecology 2011;6(2):92-4 online PDF: http://bit.ly/IfjFiY

Article: 3rd July 2012 www.duofertility.com.us

Read more information about the DuoFertility monitor here.

A recent report states that there is a higher risk of complications and multiple births in pregnancies that result from IVF techniques.

A report by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists said there were increased risks of premature births, low birth weight and congenital abnormalities. However, it said the vast majority of IVF children were as healthy as other children. IVF accounts for over 1% of UK births. Advances in fertility research have allowed more infertile couples to have children and at an older age.

Risks

The Royal College's Scientific Advisory Committee reviewed the risks of IVF, which it said were directly related to the number of foetuses and that IVF techniques appeared to double the risk of twins.

It said: "About one in four of all IVF pregnancies result in a multiple birth in the UK owing to the common practice of replacing two or three embryos."

It also said there was a 23% increased risk of a premature birth, but the risk remained low. "IVF pregnancies still demonstrate an increased risk of low birth weight," it said. Heart defects, cleft lips and other congenital anomalies are also more common. It said around 5% of all babies were diagnosed with an abnormality, but IVF babies were around a third more likely to have a problem.

Long term

Later in life, the report said there were no differences in brain, language or behavioural development and there "appears to be little impact at age 12".

Prof Jenny Kurinczuk, director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford, said: "IVF pregnancies carry an increased risk of poor birth outcomes and complications. Nevertheless the majority of the children born following IVF will have a good outcome just like any other children.

"The poor birth outcomes and complications may be a combination of treatment and underlying features of the couple such as older maternal age. However, treatment strategies can be altered to improve outcomes such as the adoption of elective single embryo transfer."

Read more about alternatives to IVF such as home insemination and the Duo-fertility monitor which is as effective as one cycle of IVF after 6 months of use.

Article: 6th June www.bbc.co.uk

The news could hardly have been more devastating for policeman John Powell. Diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 32, he was given only six months to live and told that aggressive chemotherapy would leave him infertile.

That was 21 years ago – and now he and his wife are celebrating the arrival of a daughter. Mr Powell had a sperm sample frozen before he began the treatment and, when he was finally given the all-clear after two decades, it was used to create baby Jasmine.

‘We couldn’t be happier – she is a wonder of medical science,’ said Mr Powell at home with wife Chenphen in Orpington, Kent. ‘I look at little Jasmine and think she is nothing less than miraculous. I honestly didn’t believe she was real until the moment she was born and I saw her face. Now I hold her and think she is part of me from 20 years ago, before I had chemotherapy.

‘It’s astonishing that something as beautiful and perfect as Jasmine could come out of a time that was so painful and difficult.’ For Mr and Mrs Powell, the birth of their daughter on February 20 is even more of a wonder because they had enough money to fund only one cycle of IVF.

They were also fighting against the clock because strict rules meant Mr Powell’s sperm would have had to be destroyed when he reached the age of 55. Medical staff at the Bridge Centre in London, where they underwent the treatment, believe it is a British record for 20-year-old sperm to be successful in its first cycle.

Trevor White, an engineer from Manchester, became a father in 2004 after his sperm had been frozen for 21 years. However baby Daniel was conceived after four separate rounds of IVF.

‘I never thought we would be lucky enough for it to work,’ said 53-year-old Mr Powell, a former superintendent with the Metropolitan force.
‘I didn’t allow myself to believe it had been a success until the moment Jasmine was born.’
Mr Powell already had a daughter, now 23, with his first wife when he was diagnosed with cancer in 1990. They split a few years later and after a period alone he visited Thailand, where friends introduced him to Chenphen.
They married in March 2008 but only after he warned her that they could probably not have a family.

Mrs Powell, 36, said: ‘John explained to me that his cancer meant we were probably not going to be able to have a baby. ‘Obviously I was upset but I loved John so much that all I could think about was our future life together, if that was without children then that was okay.
‘But we knew there was a chance of having a baby with the frozen sperm. I knew we only really had one chance of it working so I didn’t really believe it would.
‘It was so unexpected when we found out I was pregnant, John had a huge smile on his face and it was obvious how happy he was.’ Mr Powell, a keen runner who has coached athletes to world championship level, had the sperm sample frozen in April 1991 and it was exactly 20 years later when his wife found she was pregnant.

He is the first Briton to survive a pioneering treatment. Bone marrow was drained from four holes drilled into his pelvis at Guy’s Hospital in London before he was given extremely high doses of chemotherapy. Months later the bone marrow – which had been frozen – was transplanted back into his body and his long road to recovery began.

Mr Powell kept a diary throughout the whole traumatic period of his treatment. He said: ‘I was confronted with the prospect of having just six months to live or having a chance of survival if I took the new treatment. I was determined to fight. It was a terrible time and it has only been since we were expecting Jasmine that I have been able to look at the diary again.’

The couple plan to fly to Thailand in September to show their daughter off to Mrs Powell’s mother. ‘She was crying down the phone when I told her Jasmine had been born,’ said Mrs Powell. ‘It is her first grandchild. I don’t know how she is going to wait until September.’

Article: 5th March 2012 www.dailymail.co.uk

Read more about IVF and artificial insemination at www.prideangel.com

She spent two years undergoing IVF treatment, and after four failed attempts thought she had lost all hope of becoming a mother So it’s little wonder Kate Silverton looks overjoyed as she shows off the baby she never thought she would have – conceived naturally within weeks of stopping the treatment.

The 41-year-old BBC presenter, who is married to Michael Heron, a former Royal Marine, gave birth to daughter Clemency in November, describing her pregnancy as a ‘miracle’. ‘I still can’t quite believe that she’s here,’ she said. ‘Seeing her smile melts me to the core. It’s the culmination of everything I ever dared imagine or hope for.

‘When I have her in my arms, feeding her in the early hours, with Mike sleeping by my side, I look down at her little face and still feel overwhelmed by what’s happened.’ ‘Whether it’s the beaming smile I get when I lean over her crib in the morning or when her bottom lip trembles if she’s uncertain about something, I just live for those moments now. She’s just adorable.’

Doctors warned Miss Silverton she would struggle to conceive naturally after she had to undergo surgery to remove one of her ovaries. She then underwent four rounds of IVF, but they all failed and the couple stopped the treatment – only for Clemency to be conceived naturally soon afterwards.

Miss Silverton said: ‘I’m not sure how this happened, but I will give thanks every day for the rest of my life that I have experienced giving birth and now have a daughter. ‘It’s heartbreaking to know there are so many couples out there who face the same difficulties as we did and I wish that I could spread some of our good fortune to them.’

The TV star has yet to hire any help with the baby insisting that she and Heron, 44, wanted to do as much as possible themselves. She said: ‘We chose not to have any help as we like the idea of working as a team with her, to learn as much as we could instinctively, although I admit it has been a rather steep learning curve.’ Miss Silverton wed Mr Heron in December 2010 at St Bride’s Church in Fleet Street – two years after they began dating.

Article: 23rd January 2012 www.dailymail.co.uk

Read more about help conceiving naturally at www.prideangel.com

A cut-price test that could dramatically increase the chances of having a healthy baby through IVF could be available within 18 months. Oxford University researchers say their test could ‘revolutionise’ the treatment as it is half the price of existing tests and may be just as effective.

It may be cheap enough for use by the Health Service. And, unlike existing tests, it does not involve the potentially risky step of taking a sample of cells from the egg or fledgling embryo, making it safer and more ethically acceptable.

Instead, it works by analysing a ‘cloud’ of cells that nurture and feed the egg. These are normally thrown away in IVF treatment but fertility doctors Dagan Wells and Elpida Fragouli believe they hold important clues to the health of the egg.

Keeping and analysing these cells could help clinics select the best eggs for fertility treatment. It should also spare would-be parents the emotional and financial heartache of going through repeated unsuccessful IVF treatments. Analysing these ‘cloud’, or cumulous, cells is also likely to be much cheaper at £1,000 or less compared with the £2,000 cost of other techniques, bringing the technology within range of many more couples.

Despite IVF’s reputation as an insurance policy, the treatment works in less than a quarter of cases, and many of the failures are because of problems with the eggs’ chromosomes. There are already several ways of checking the chromosomes, but they require a small sample from the egg or embryo and so are not completely without risk to the unborn child.

The cumulous cells, however, can be studied without harming the egg. These cells grow and mature with the egg and so any problems that damage the egg, such as a poor blood supply, should also show up in the cells. The doctors have carried out a small-scale study that has shown that certain genes being over or under-active in the cumulous cells is a sign of abnormal eggs.

Calculations suggest that using the technique to pick out the healthiest eggs would boost a woman’s odds of having a baby. Existing tests can double or triple the odds of IVF success, and it is hoped the new test will be just as good.

Dr Wells said: ‘The number of patients we looked at is very small. This is very much a work in progress, but there is good reason for optimism at this point.’

A larger-scale study is planned, and if that goes well the technique could be trialled on women for the first time in the summer of 2012. If it proves to be safe and effective, it could be in widespread use early in 2013.

Article: 28th December 2011 www.dailymail.co.uk

Read more about IVF and alternatives such as natural fertility and home insemination

Scientists have developed a ‘fertility wand’ that has been shown to double the chances of becoming pregnant. The pregnancy rate among women undergoing IVF who had the new treatment was 32.7 per cent, compared to 13.7 per cent in comparison groups who did not have the therapy.

The live birth rate was also higher in the treatment group — 22.4 per cent compared to 9.8 per cent in the untreated group. The new treatment works on the womb lining. Fertility experts believe a poor quality womb lining may be a significant factor in women struggling to conceive.

In order for a woman to become pregnant, a fertilised egg, or embryo, has to become implanted into the womb lining. This process is complex, involving hormones, growth factors and chemicals produced by the immune system called cytokines.

The process is not fully understood, and there is no treatment if it goes wrong. However, Israeli researchers recently made the discovery that slight damage to the womb lining actually results in improved fertility. They found that 45 women who had undergone a uterine biopsy — where tissue was taken from the lining of the womb — had almost twice the rate of pregnancies and births as a control group.

A U.S. study found this damage triggered a repair response in the body, producing growth factors and cytokines. It also increased the activity of genes thought to play a role in preparing the lining for implantation.

These findings have been put to the test in a new trial involving 100 women who’d previously failed to conceive with IVF, despite their embryos being of a good quality. They were either given the new treatment or were allocated to a control group.

The treatment involves inserting a long plastic tube-like device (known as the Pipelle) into the womb and then rotating it 360 degrees to ‘scratch’ the lining. Patients in the study were given painkillers 30 minutes before the procedure, which was carried out twice in one month.

The results, reported in the Journal of Human Reproduction Sciences, showed the pregnancy rate in the treated group was over double that of the control group.

Further clinical trials using the technique are now underway. Some 500 women are being recruited at Mansoura University in Egypt, while in another trial at the Sheba Medical Centre, Israel, 70 IVF patients will be randomly, selected to undergo the therapy with the Pipelle device.

Commenting on the research, Sanjay Vyas, a gynaecologist at Southmead Hospital, Bristol says: ‘This is very interesting work. Implantation failure when the quality of embryos transferred is good can be heartbreaking because it cannot be predicted.

‘This intervention is simple, and if it genuinely improves the implantation rate, it would be very good news. ‘We await the results of the larger trial with interest.’

Article: 19th December 2011 www.dailymail.co.uk

Read more about alternatives to IVF at www.prideangel.com

A new study published in European Obstetrics & Gynaecology shows that just six months using the DuoFertility monitor and service gives the same chance of pregnancy as a cycle of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) for many infertile couples. This study demonstrates that there is a viable non-invasive, drug-free alternative to IVF for thousands of couples, with the potential to save them (and the NHS) millions of pounds each year.

The paper is the first peer-reviewed publication of clinical pregnancy rates using the new DuoFertility product and service. Lead author, Dr. Oriane Chausiaux said “The results show that for couples suffering from unexplained infertility as well as a variety of other factors, twelve months using DuoFertility yields a higher clinical pregnancy rate than a cycle of IVF.” Not only is IVF invasive for the woman and demeaning for the man, but for many couples it is a procedure needlessly costing the NHS, or the couple themselves, thousands of pounds. A typical cycle of IVF in the private sector costs £7,000 all up. By comparison the DuoFertility program offers a year of monitoring and support for £500 - and it comes with a 12-month money-back pregnancy guarantee.

The publication coincides with the 200th reported pregnancy by users of DuoFertility, which was celebrated at the weekend with a party hosted by medical personality Dr. Miriam Stoppard. Dr. Stoppard, addressing the assembled parents and parents-to-be, said "[it is] the first product or service that I have seen in this arena which truly wraps around all of the needs of the couple, from the medical monitoring, to the review of this data by experts, and then the all-important emotional support that is provided."..."The results of the scientific studies on pregnancy rate are very encouraging, but do need to be followed up with live birth rates, and I look forward to seeing further research."

The authors of the study caution that although non-invasive and drug-free, DuoFertility is not suitable for all couples. Dr. Husheer, inventor of DuoFertility explained “although DuoFertility is suitable for around 80% of infertile couples, there are some couples with medically identified conditions that prevent natural conception, such as a woman with two blocked fallopian tubes. In these cases IVF is absolutely the right thing to do, enabling conception where it was previously a physical impossibility.”

About Cambridge Temperature Concepts Cambridge Temperature Concepts Limited (CTC) has developed a new kind of wireless physiological monitor, which measures body temperature, heat flow and movement with unprecedented resolution. The first application (DuoFertility) is in conception assistance for couples suffering infertility, however work is underway in areas as diverse as sleep quality monitoring, hypoglycemia detection, infection control and a range of veterinary applications. DuoFertility is a non-invasive, easy-to-use female fertility monitor. It is the most natural, convenient, and precise way of maximising the chances of getting pregnant.

CTC was founded by graduate students at the University of Cambridge in, winning business competitions at collegiate, university, regional and national levels prior to Angel funding. Less than 18 months later, the DuoFertility product had progressed from sheet-of-paper through medical device approvals, production prototype, Europe-wide trial, and had gained first direct-to-consumer sales.

Article: by Cambridge Temperature Concepts, 14th December 2011

Read more about DuoFertility monitor available to purchase at Pride Angel's Shop