Researchers make IVF safer for women

Researchers could have just made IVF - an assisted fertilisation therapy - treatment safer for women after successfully using a new method to stimulate ovulation.

"Our study has shown that natural hormone 'kisspeptin' can be used as a physiological trigger for egg maturation in IVF therapy, said Waljit Dhillo, a professor in endocrinology and metabolism at London's Imperial College.

The team have given the gift of life to 12 couples using a new injection of the natural hormone 'kisspeptin' to make their eggs mature.

Currently doctors use the hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) for In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), but there is a risk that this can over-stimulate the ovaries and threaten the mother's life.

Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) affects around a third of IVF patients in a mild form, causing symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

Less than 10 percent of patients experience moderate or severe OHSS which can cause kidney failure.

"OHSS is a major medical problem. It can be fatal in severe cases and it occurs in women undergoing IVF treatment who are otherwise very healthy. We really need more effective natural triggers for egg maturation during IVF treatment, and the results of this trial are very promising," Dhillo explained.

Kisspeptin is broken down more quickly inside the body, meaning the risk of over-stimulation is lower.

According to Alison Harper, one of the mothers who participated in the study, "I went through several cycles of IVF previously but the one in the trial was the least uncomfortable - it was less painful and I felt less swollen."

The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

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Researchers make IVF safer for women