IVF may not be best infertility option

There is little evidence that in vitro fertilization (IVF) results in more healthy babies than other treatments, say Scottish researchers.

A thorough review of the studies so far was undertaken by Dr Zabeena Pandian and colleagues at Aberdeen University, UK. The team compared results for IVF against artificial insemination and a procedure called gamete intrafallopian transfer (GIFT).

In IVF, the egg and sperm are joined in the lab to produce an embryo which is implanted in the woman’s uterus. However, in GIFT, the egg and sperm are combined and inserted before an embryo is formed. Artificial insemination is the placing of a prepared semen sample into the uterus.

The review included six studies with a total of 1,305 women. It found that IVF improves pregnancy rates, but "there is insufficient evidence at present to suggest that IVF is more effective than the other treatment options available for unexplained infertility," said Dr Pandian.
Results are published in April’s issue of The Cochrane Library.

IVF is widely used, but is expensive and invasive and has potential drawbacks such as a multiple pregnancy rate of about a quarter.

"IVF is becoming popular when there is no specific explanation for infertility as it may be able to overcome a variety of problems," Dr Pandian says.

"Until more evidence is available, IVF may not be the preferred first line of treatment for these [infertile] couples and it might be appropriate to continue with less invasive options," she concludes.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, Issue 2