Expensive IVF Treatment May Not Work Better For All Couples, Study Says

By: Rachael Rettner
Published: 01/21/2015 07:45 PM EST on LiveScience

More and more couples are using a specialized in vitro fertilization (IVF) technique, but the more expensive procedure does not appear to improve pregnancy rates or birth rates more than traditional IVF methods do, a new study suggests.

The study looked at the use of a procedure called intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in which clinic workers fertilize an egg cell by selecting a single sperm cell and then injecting it through a tiny needle directly into an egg cell. In contrast, traditional IVF involves a simpler process: mixing the egg and sperm together in lab dishes.

The study was not able to look at outcomes for frozen eggs, for which there is some evidence that ICSI may be more beneficial than traditional IVF, the researchers noted.

Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.

The Huffington Post