The latest in fertility
Fertility research, written in plain English.
To-the-point summaries of the latest peer-reviewed research on fertility, IVF, and reproductive health.
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The latest in fertility
To-the-point summaries of the latest peer-reviewed research on fertility, IVF, and reproductive health.
Loading articles…
The latest in fertility
To-the-point summaries of the latest peer-reviewed research on fertility, IVF, and reproductive health.
Women who developed gestational diabetes early in an IVF pregnancy faced a longer list of serious complications, including higher rates of premature birth, preeclampsia, and poor fetal growth, compared to those who developed it later. Those with late-onset gestational diabetes had different but still significant risks, including more frequent need for cesarean delivery and abnormal fluid levels around the baby.
A review of Russian health data from 2019 to 2024 found that the number of IVF cycles performed and their success rates both increased over time, even as the number of people officially diagnosed with infertility declined. However, access to IVF varies widely depending on which region of Russia a person lives in.
A widely used insecticide found in many household and agricultural products was shown to significantly reduce the number of successful embryo implantation sites in pregnant mice, suggesting it may harm the uterus's ability to accept an embryo. The insecticide appeared to work by over-activating a key internal signaling pathway, which then disrupted the proteins the uterus needs to become receptive and caused damaging oxidative stress.
A combination treatment using compounds from a traditional East Asian plant reduced scarring and inflammation inside the uterus in rats with a condition similar to intrauterine adhesions, which can block pregnancy. The treatment was also linked to improvements in markers that suggest the uterus may be better able to support a pregnancy.
Even a relatively low level of fructose consumption caused significant drops in sperm count and movement, more abnormal sperm shapes, and damage to the genetic material inside sperm in male mice. Higher fructose intake made things worse, also increasing harmful oxidative stress in the testes and impairing memory.
In the earliest stages of embryo development, the Y chromosome is unusually weak at the structure that keeps chromosomes properly sorted during cell division, making it more likely to be lost. When cells lose the Y chromosome, they divide more slowly and the embryo grows smaller, which could affect whether a male embryo develops normally.
A family of industrial pollutants found in the environment can block a key enzyme responsible for producing estrogen, which could have serious consequences for reproductive health. Lab tests confirmed that three of these compounds reduced estrogen levels in human cells in a dose-dependent way.
In rats infected with bacteria in the testicles, hormone-producing cells began to fail within 24 hours, and testosterone levels dropped within the first week. Immune cell buildup and signs of tissue damage continued to worsen over the following weeks, suggesting that early treatment may matter for protecting reproductive function.
A review of seven clinical trials found that taking inositol supplements did not meaningfully change levels of hormones that regulate metabolism and body fat, including in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. This held true across all three hormones tested, and the overall findings were consistent even when individual studies were removed from the analysis.
In female mice, having too much growth hormone severely disrupted ovarian cycles and reduced fertility, while males were largely unaffected in that way. The damage to fertility was traced to a specific group of brain cells that regulate hunger and metabolism, not to the cells most scientists expected to be responsible.
A new scientific review explains how eggs grow and mature inside the ovary at both the structural and molecular level, and connects these findings to real problems seen in fertility treatment. The review highlights how specific biological pathways control whether dormant egg follicles stay asleep or begin developing, which has direct implications for improving egg freezing and in vitro maturation.
A breakdown product of a widely used pesticide was found in the follicular fluid of nearly all infertile women tested, and higher levels were strongly linked to endometriosis and worse IVF results, including fewer mature eggs and lower pregnancy odds. Women with endometriosis showed the most pronounced negative effects on IVF outcomes when pesticide levels were higher.
In pregnant women with a history of repeated miscarriage, high levels of certain immune and blood clotting markers in early pregnancy were linked to a greater chance of losing the pregnancy, while other markers appeared protective. A combined approach using five blood markers identified women at risk with strong accuracy, suggesting early screening may one day help flag who needs closer monitoring.
Scientists have developed a way to measure damaging oxidative stress inside a single human sperm cell, something that was not reliably possible before. The method successfully detected increases in harmful free radicals in individual sperm, which could eventually help explain why some men with normal-looking sperm still struggle with fertility.
In rats bred to mimic polycystic ovary syndrome, two proteins involved in producing powerful male hormones were significantly more active in the ovaries compared to healthy rats. These same rats also had disrupted cycles, higher testosterone, and hormone patterns commonly seen in people with PCOS.
When two specific proteins are absent from sperm, the sperm cannot properly penetrate and fertilize an egg, causing complete fertilization failure in both mice and humans. These proteins are needed to build a key structure inside sperm that keeps the acrosome (the cap that helps sperm break into an egg) properly attached and functional.
In women with obesity or related hormonal conditions, the type of dietary fat matters more than the total amount of fat consumed, and shifting away from certain saturated fats toward omega-3 fatty acids like EPA and DHA may meaningfully improve egg quality and early embryo development. A review of 82 studies found that saturated fats commonly found in processed foods damaged eggs and disrupted hormone production, while omega-3 fats appeared to counteract those harmful effects.
Among women who developed preeclampsia, those who conceived through IVF did not have more severe cases than women who conceived naturally. Rates of early-onset preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia, and preterm birth were similar between the two groups once other factors like age and twin pregnancy were accounted for.
A molecule found in blood called miR-614 is significantly lower in women who experience recurrent miscarriage, and a blood test measuring it correctly identified the condition about 78% of the time. Lower levels of this molecule appear to disrupt the ability of placental cells to grow and move properly, which is essential for a healthy early pregnancy.
A molecule in the brain that helps control reproductive hormones naturally decreases as males age, and this drop is linked to lower sperm count, poorer sperm movement, and reduced fertility. In older mice, restoring this molecule in the brain raised testosterone levels and improved both sperm count and motility.
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