Category Archives: Embryology

Embryology

Covid-19 screening in IVF clinics: safety is the priority – Cambridge Network

My argument is that it is better to screen more for coronavirus and subsequently relax, than to create the potential for positive cases that will reduce staff availability and patient confidence, comments Dr Thanos Papathanasiou, Medical Director at Bourn Hall Clinic (pictured). IVF treatment requires close interactions with staff and a paper by Dr Papathanasiou has highlighted considerable inconsistencies in the official guidance for testing.

To help professionals working in fertility medicine to balance safety and cost, Dr Papathanasiou has compared in a paper the clinical guidance given by four societies: European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE); American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM); British Fertility Society (BFS) and Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS). The paper has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics (12 June 2020).

Dr Papathanasiou continues: Although there is guidance about when to test for COVID-19 it varies between scientific societies. This is because there is no relevant experience or research in the area of reproductive medicine; it is a new disease after all."

Assessment of risk is complicated, as it is known that some people carry the coronavirus and are infectious without showing any symptoms of the COVID-19 disease. Therefore, making the decision to treat based just on reporting of symptoms may not protect staff or other patients from infection. A test is needed to confirm good health, but not all clinics insist on this.

Dr Papathanasiou comments: The Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the regulatory body, does not instruct how intensively clinics should screen as its priority is for the clinic to have a plan of action with risk assessments and an audit trail.

As a result, it falls to individual clinics to decide how exactly they will set up their COVID-19 practices. Consequently, some will have stricter or looser protocols and this is causing confusion for patients.

IVF treatment requires a number of face-to-face interactions over a period of several weeks so Bourn Hall has introduced a COVID-19 screening process, including self-assessment and health questionnaires and COVID-19 testing for patients and staff, for its clinics in Cambridge, Norwich and Wickford.

Bourn Hall has also introduced new ways of working to reduce footfall in its clinics, enable social distancing where possible and strict use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). A concern for the clinics and patients is that the implementation of these measures will increase the cost of each treatment cycle. At present, Bourn Hall is not passing on the increased costs to current patients other than an additional charge of 100 for each COVID-19 test.

Although a staged or triage approach based on self-assessment questionnaires and testing was recommend by all the societies, the type of questions and the timing of testing differs. For example, some include occupation as a risk factor and only one asks about local incidence of disease.

We will be making repeated assessments during treatment to confirm good health, Dr Papathanasiou continues. Even if this may mean treatment of an individual is cancelled as a precaution, safety is our priority. The good news is that this region has a relatively low number of incidents and we will be monitoring this closely within our decision-making.

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Covid-19 screening in IVF clinics: safety is the priority - Cambridge Network

Embryology

Woman gives birth to twin sons 10 years apart – Times Now

A Chinese woman gave birth to the twin brother of her son after 10 years. | Image: Hubei Maternal and Child Health Hospital 

Hubei: A woman has given birth to twin sons - 10 years apart. The woman gave to the twin brother of her son from an embryo that was frozen for 10 years.

Wang, from China, had been struggling to conceive a child. In 2009, she decided to try the in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment and doctors cultivated a "batch of embryos". They implanted one embryo into Wangin October of that year.

While Wang went on to give birth to baby 'Lulu' in June 2010, the doctors at Hubei Maternal and Child Health Hospital froze the rest of her eggs so that she could go through the process later.

About 10 years later, Wang (now 41) decided to have a second baby. When she returned to Director Xiao Mei, who helped her with her first pregnancy, the doctor recognised Wang immediately.

The hospital said that despite her age, Wang's pregnancy was "relatively smooth".

The woman welcomed her second son on June 16 after giving birth via cesarean. The baby who has been named Tongtong weighed 3.48 kilograms at the time of birth, exactly the same weight as that of his elder twin brother.

Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority in the UK explains that there may be good quality embryos left over after the IVF treatment. Instead of discarding them, those embryos can be frozen to use in the future, in case the first treatment doesn't work. They can also be frozen to preserve fertility to try for a sibling at a later date.

"From a medical perspective, Lulu and Tongtong are twin brothers," Zheng Jie, a doctor from the fertility centre of the hospital, said.

"The same doctor did the test tube operation, the same doctor did the cesarean section operation, the two babies were the same batch of embryos, the same sex, the same weight, were also born in June," the hospital said, adding that the twins born10 years apart have so much in common that it's "extremely rare".

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Woman gives birth to twin sons 10 years apart - Times Now

Embryology

How to cope with fertility treatment – EasternEye – Eastern Eye

FOOD WRITER SEETAL SAVLA DISCUSSES HER EMOTIONAL IVF JOURNEY

by MITA MISTRY

THE Covid-19 lockdown is having a detrimental effect on lives globally, but for many couples trying for a child it is a devastating time because fertility treatments have been indefinitely postponed and some feel they are running out of time.

As each day of lockdown progresses they feel like their chances of having a biological child are shrinking and its particularly terrifying for women who feel like their egg reserves are dwindling.

British Asian food writer Seetal Savla has been married for 11 years to her husband Neil and after suffering an early miscarriage from a biological pregnancy, has been trying for a baby for over four years. She has gone through three unsuccessful IVF cycles and a fourth has been interrupted due to the Covid-19 lockdown. The struggle has been made harder by an out dated cultural legacy that looks down on a woman who cant conceive.

Eastern Eye caught up with Savla to talk about her deeply emotional IVF journey, key advice for infertile couples and her future hopes.

Please tell us about your fertility journey?My husband and I suffered an early miscarriage from a natural pregnancy in 2016-2017. Until then, hed expressed a stronger desire to become a parent than I had, but this devastating loss was my catalyst to be proactive. It was a wakeup call for two reasons: wed been married for eight years and this was our sole pregnancy, plus it made me realise how much I wanted children. Amid all the pressure to procreate, Id suppressed my feelings, which had finally surfaced. We sought fertility treatment shortly afterwards, through the NHS and then private clinics. However, our fourth cycle has been postponed indefinitely due to Covid-19, which is frustrating.

How does it feel going through a cycle of IVF?It depends on the clinic, your protocol, the medications and your reaction to them, whether youre working, among others. During my first cycle, I felt overwhelmed. In hindsight, it was a breeze compared to the private clinic we chose for our second and third rounds. It was information and medication overload, which hit me so hard one day that I ended up in tears in the nurses office. On any given day, I flitted between anger that we had to undergo IVF, gratitude that we could afford it, shame, guilt and hatred towards my dysfunctional body, muted excitement about a positive outcome and fear of another failure.

How did it affect your daily life?The NHS cycle was so light that I continued to work and socialise. For the private rounds, it was a full-time job doing daily blood tests and scans, taking five to six different injections, plus pills and pessaries, at specific times throughout the day; it took over my life. By this time, I had changed jobs and did what I could around appointments until I was laid off for business reasons. Although being unemployed was a shock, the silver lining was that I had the headspace and time to fully focus on my relentless IVF schedule.

What is the hardest part of dealing with IVF/infertility?Undergoing IVF is like being on a never-ending rollercoaster ride: you are up and down emotionally. Each cycle is testing in different ways, with the toughest challenges being recovering from the heartbreak of yet another failed round and trying to remain hopeful when that final phone call only ever brings bad news. It hurts even more when the treatment overshadows your special occasions, such as our 10th anniversary, which was spent in blustery Brighton instead of beautiful Bali.

How did your family and friends help?We told our immediate families and close friends from the outset, all of whom were supportive. That said, we didnt divulge how traumatic the experience was, so they were taken aback when they read my first blog post revealing what went on behind closed doors. Having my sister, best friend and mother-in-law accompany me during certain clinic visits was also comforting. Furthermore, discovering the TTC community (Trying To Conceive) via Instagram was a lifeline as they instantly understood my hopes, fears and heartache.

Did you get community support?Our extended families have been a great source of support. By checking in with us to see how were coping, rooting for us and sending heartfelt messages after unsuccessful cycles, theyve given us considerable strength to keep going when we were close to giving up. It can be extremely difficult to know what to say to someone when their pain is so raw, but some people are naturally empathic and their words have soothed me.

Did you seek any other professional help?I started therapy after our third cycle. I sometimes find it easier to talk to strangers about my struggles. Therapists only have the backstory you share; theyre not personally invested in you, so they wont try to fix your problems with platitudes or fertility success stories. You get a neutral perspective and dont feel guilty for constantly talking about yourself as youre paying them to listen. With family and friends, youre conscious that youre offloading on them, you dont want to worry them and they have their own issues.

What advice would you give someone going through IVF and infertility?I recommend starting with the HFEA website (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority), which offers plenty of information about fertility treatments, funding, egg, sperm or embryo donation and UK clinics. Speaking of clinics, dont feel obliged to stick to the same one its okay to move if your original choice no longer works. Similarly, shop around when buying meds as prices vary (supermarket pharmacies are often the cheapest). Also, injecting yourself wont be as bad as you imagine (unless youre prescribed intramuscular injections). Lastly, there are many online and offline support networks, so please dont suffer in silence.

In what ways could all those women going through IVF/infertility be better supported?A one-size-fits-all solution is impossible because were all different. For me, being advised to just relax or stay strong and be positive is irritating as these words fail to acknowledge my inner turmoil. Instead of platitudes or pity, something like, Im sorry, this is s**t and Im thinking of you works well. Ask how they are, just listen and dont advise.

What would you say are your hopes for the future?To have a happy and healthy baby. Its hard to make plans given the uncertainty around Covid-19, but a baby would be miraculous. While I admire the determination of those who wont quit until they achieve their goal, reaching double digits for cycles, we couldnt continue without an end date. Being on the IVF treadmill is physically, mentally, emotionally and financially draining. If success eludes us, we will explore alternatives, starting with anonymous donor eggs. However, we do not want infertility to define us and some of us are ready to call time sooner than others.

Visit http://www.savlafaire.com, Twitter, Facebook & Instagram: @SavlaFaire

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How to cope with fertility treatment - EasternEye - Eastern Eye

Embryology

The NHS worker from Croydon who needs to find 40k to take up her place at Oxford University – MyLondon

Being accepted to Oxford was a life changing moment for this 22-year-old from Thornton Heath.

But if Leighann Nesbeth, an NHS admin worker, cant raise the 40,000 needed to pay for the fees, her dream may not become a reality.

Inspired by her work in the gynocology oncology department at Guys Hospital, she hopes taking a masters in Clinical Embryology at Oxford will set her on a path where she can help women struggling to get pregnant.

She said: I find with a lot of patients with ovarian cancer their fertility is affected, and going to an assisted fertility unit is the first point of contact before they have cancer treatment so they can preserve their fertility.

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I found I was really interested in that and I was looking for a positive way to impact the lives of women so fertility is definitely my calling.

Leighann was determined to pursue a career in clinical medicine from a young age despite being told by a teacher to aim lower.

Her sights remained high even after being rejected from medical school multiple times.

Instead she chose to study for a degree in Medical Physiology in Nottingham where she graduated with first class honours.

She explained that accepted to Oxford has boosted her confidence in what shes capable of, but the huge fees nearly stopped her from applying at all.

She said: When I did my research and I found out it was 40,000 I honestly wasnt even going to apply. I thought theres no way I could afford it. I spoke to my mum and dad about it and we thought it was just impossible.

It was only an encouraging message on the day of the deadline that prompted Leighann to submit her application.

There are some scholarships available, she said, but she wont know if she has been granted any until just two weeks before the day her fees need to be paid at the end of June.

In terms of the money, it does make me feel very disheartened, she said.

Its just such a huge barrier. If the only thing thats stopping me is the finance it seems like Ive come so far to just not be able to get it.

Leighann has raised just over 6,000 towards her target on her Go Fund Me page. You can help get her Oxford by donating here.

Do you have a story you think MyLondon should cover? If so, email danielle.manning@reachplc.com.

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The NHS worker from Croydon who needs to find 40k to take up her place at Oxford University - MyLondon

Embryology

Merck Foundation Together With 18 African First Ladies Respond to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Four Main Areas – Devdiscourse

Mumbai, Maharashtra, India & Monrovia, Liberia Business Wire India Merck Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany has raced to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic in partnership with 18 African First Ladies, Ministries of Health, Information and Education focusing on four main areas: 1. Community Support: Merck Foundation partners with African First Ladies to support livelihood of thousands of women and casual workers affected by Coronavirus lockdown. 2. Healthcare Capacity Building: Merck Foundation started Coronavirus healthcare capacity building by providing online one-year diplomas and two-year masters degree in Respiratory Medicines and Acute Medicines for African Doctors 3. Community Awareness through media Awards: Merck Foundation announced, Stay at Home Media Recognition Awards in Africa, Middle East, Asia & Latin America to raise awareness about Coronavirus.

4. Community awareness for Children and Youth: Merck Foundation launched an inspiring storybook Making the Right Choice in partnership with African First Ladies to sensitize children and youth about Coronavirus Merck Foundation has partnered with the African First Ladies of Liberia, Ghana, DR Congo, Zimbabwe, Niger, Sierra Leone, Malawi and Burkina Faso to support livelihood of thousands of women and families of casual and daily workers who are most affected by the Coronavirus (COVID -19) lockdown. The relief contribution was also undertaken in Egypt with the aim to support 500 families. Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation explained, Lockdown imposed in most countries has hit the daily workers and women the most, making it very difficult for them to survive. Therefore, Merck Foundation decided to partner with the African First Ladies to support up to 1000 women and casual workers families in each country, with the aim to save their livelihood as part of Separated but Connected Merck Foundation Initiative. Speaking of women being impacted by the lockdown, Dr. Rasha Kelej explained, I am sad to know that the pandemic has led to a horrifying increase in violence against women. The confinement at home with an abusive partner has resulted in not only physical violence but also emotional violence against women which can have disastrous consequences for their health and well-being. Therefore, we decided to focus on supporting women in our coronavirus community intervention and strongly continue empowering infertile and childless women as part of our signature campaign Merck More than a Mother. We know they now need our support more than ever. We strongly believe that building professional healthcare capacity is the right strategy to improve access to quality and equitable healthcare specially during this vicious pandemic, Dr. Kelej added.

Therefore, Merck Foundation will strongly continue their current capacity advancement programs and will specially focus on building Coronavirus healthcare capacity through providing African and Asian medical postgraduates with one-year online diploma and two-year online Master degree in both of Respiratory Medicines and Acute Medicines at one of the UK Universities. This program is in partnership with African First Ladies, Ministers of Health and Academia across the two continents. As part of their strategy of responding to coronavirus lockdown, Merck Foundation scaled up to more African and Asian medical postgraduates to provide online medical specialization scholarships.

During this lockdown, Merck Foundation will focus more on these online scholarships which will be for one-year diploma and two year master degree in several specialties such as: Diabetes, Cardiovascular Preventive Medicines, Endocrinology and Sexual and Reproductive Medicines. To apply for these scholarships, please email us on: submit@merck-foundation.com Merck Foundation has also launched Stay at Home Media Recognition Awards in partnership with African First Ladies of Ghana, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Malawi, Namibia, Niger, Guinea Conakry, Burundi, Central African Republic (C.A.R.), Chad, Zimbabwe, Zambia, The Gambia, Liberia and Congo Brazzaville, Angola, Mali, Mozambique for English, French, Portuguese and Arabic Speaking African countries. The awards have been also announced for Middle Eastern, Asian countries and in Spanish for Latin American Countries. The theme of the awards is Raising Awareness on how to Stay Safe and Keep Physically and Mentally Healthy during Coronavirus Lockdown with the aim to separate facts from myths and misconceptions to apply for these awards email: submit@merck-foundation.com Dr. Rasha Kelej emphasized, We strongly believe that media plays a critical role in raising awareness about sensitive and pressing issues such as Coronavirus. I am looking forward to receive the creative and informative work of our winners so that they become Merck Foundation health champions in their countries. Merck Foundation has also launched an inspiring storybook called Making the Right Choice in partnership with 18 African First Ladies. The story aims to raise awareness about coronavirus prevention amongst children and youth as it provides facts about the pandemic and how to stay safe and healthy during the outbreak. It also promotes honesty, hard-work and the ability to make the right choices even during the most challenging times. The story released in three languages: English, French and Portuguese. To read the storybook please click on below links: English: https://www.merck-foundation.com/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?retURL=%2Fapex%2FMF_MainPage%3FstartURL%3D%252FNews-Article%252FMerck-Foundation-together-with-African-First-Ladies-continue-their-strategy-to-provide-specialty-training-for-African-doctors-to-better-manage-Diabetes-and-Hypertension-patients-who-are-Coronavirus-risk-groups.&file=00P1r00002YfRDrEAN French: https://www.merck-foundation.com/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?retURL=%2Fapex%2FMF_MainPage%3FstartURL%3D%252FNews-Article%252FMerck-Foundation-together-with-African-First-Ladies-continue-their-strategy-to-provide-specialty-training-for-African-doctors-to-better-manage-Diabetes-and-Hypertension-patients-who-are-Coronavirus-risk-groups.&file=00P1r00002YfzaGEAR Portuguese: https://www.merck-foundation.com/servlet/servlet.FileDownload?retURL=%2Fapex%2FMF_MainPage%3FstartURL%3D%252FNews-Article%252FMerck-Foundation-together-with-African-First-Ladies-continue-their-strategy-to-provide-specialty-training-for-African-doctors-to-better-manage-Diabetes-and-Hypertension-patients-who-are-Coronavirus-risk-groups.&file=00P1r00002YfzeUEAR About Merck Oncology Fellowship and Master Degree Program A part of Merck Cancer Access, the program focuses on building professional cancer care capacity with the aim to increase the limited number of Oncologists in Africa. Oncology Fellowship Program of one year, one and half years, two years in India, Malaysia, Kenya and Master Degree in Medical Oncology for three years in Egypt in partnership with African Ministries of Health, Local Governments and Academia.

Launched in 2016, over 80 candidates from more than 26 African countries have been enrolled in the Merck Oncology Fellowship Program. The program will continue to build cancer care capability in African countries such as Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, DRC, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mauritius, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe. About Merck Fertility & Embryology Training Program Merck Fertility & Embryology Training Program was launched in 2016 as part of Merck More Than a Mother. Under this program, Merck Foundation has been providing hands-on practical training to candidates from Africa and Asia, in partnership with the Indonesian Reproductive Science Institute (IRSI), Indonesia; International Institute for Training and Research in Reproductive Health (IIRRH), India; Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), India and Indira IVF Hospitals, India.

Through this program, Merck Foundation is making history in many African and Asian countries where they never had fertility specialists or specialized fertility clinics before Merck More Than a Mother intervention, to train the first fertility specialists such as; in Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia, Niger, Chad, Guinea, Ethiopia, Myanmar and Uganda. So far, Merck Foundation has provided for more than 180+ candidates, clinical and practical training for fertility specialists and embryologists in more than 35 countries across Africa and Asia such as: Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, CAR, Cote D'IVOIRE, DRC, Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malaysia, Liberia, Mali, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Niger, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, The Gambia, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia & Zimbabwe. About Merck Diabetes Blue Points Project Merck Diabetes Blue Points Project in partnership with African First Ladies, Ministries of Health and Academia to help improve access to equitable and quality diabetes care nationwide in African countries. Candidates from different provinces, countries or districts of the respective countries are provided with one-year Online Postgraduate Diabetes Diploma in English for English Speaking countries, or an Online Master course on Clinical Management of Diabetes in French and Portuguese for 3 months duration, for French and Portuguese speaking countries respectively, ensuring geographical coverage of the whole country to help improve the landscape of diabetes care in Africa.

Download the Merck Foundation App now Google Play - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.merck.foundation.googleplay App Store - https://apps.apple.com/no/app/merck-foundation/id1297299793 Join the conversation on our social media platforms below and let your voice be heard Facebook: Merck Foundation Twitter: @Merckfoundation YouTube: MerckFoundation Instagram: Merck Foundation Flickr: Merck Foundation Website: http://www.merck-foundation.com About Merck Foundation The Merck Foundation, established in 2017, is the philanthropic arm of Merck KGaA Germany, aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people and advance their lives through science and technology. Our efforts are primarily focused on improving access to quality & equitable healthcare solutions in underserved communities, building healthcare and scientific research capacity and empowering people in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) with a special focus on women and youth. All Merck Foundation press releases are distributed by e-mail at the same time they become available on the Merck Foundation Website. Please visit http://www.merck-foundation.com to read more. To know more, reach out to our social media: Merck Foundation; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Flicker. To View the Image Click on the Link Below: Dr. Rasha Kelej, CEO of Merck Foundation with H.E. DJN COND, The First Lady of Guinea; H.E. FATIMA MAADA BIO; The First Lady of Sierra Leone; H.E. Prof. GERTRUDE MUTHARIKA, The First Lady of Malawi; H.E. FATOUMATTA BAH-BARROW, The First Lady of The Gambia; H.E. DENISE NKURUNZIZA, The First Lady of Burundi; H.E. ASSATA ISSOUFOU MAHAMADOU, The First Lady of Niger; H.E. BRIGITTE TOUADERA, The First Lady of Central African Republic; H.E. REBECCA AKUFO-ADDO, The First Lady of Ghana; H.E. CLAR MARIE WEAH, The First Lady of Liberia; H.E. ANTOINETTE SASSOU-NGUESSO, The First Lady of Congo Brazzaville; H.E. MONICA GEINGOS, The First Lady of Namibia; H.E. AUXILLIA MNANGAGWA, The First Lady of Zimbabwe; H.E. NEO JANE MASISI, The First Lady of Botswana; H.E. Dr. ISAURA FERRO NYUSI, The First Lady of Mozambique and Former First Lady of Mauritania PWR PWR.

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Merck Foundation Together With 18 African First Ladies Respond to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Four Main Areas - Devdiscourse

Embryology

‘Authorised to resume licensed treatments’ following COVID-19 closure: what does this actually mean for a fertility clinic? – BioNews

8 June 2020

Scientific Director and HFEA Person Responsible, Hewitt Fertility Centres Knutsford and Liverpool, Liverpool Womens Hospital

Since fertility centres have been allowed to apply to reopen following their temporary closure during the COVID-19 pandemic, as reported in BioNews 1045, many fertility clinics have been approved by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) as 'authorised to resume licensed treatments'. This has naturally meant that patients previously left waiting for their treatment now desperately wish to get going again on their journey towards achieving a family.

This understandable desire to resume treatment has led to clinic websites constantly being checked, phone lines in clinics becoming busy and many questions being asked across other channels of communication such as social media. Patients will often assume that if a clinic is now 'open' or can 'resume treatment' that this means it will happen immediately. It is sometimes difficult to explain to them the impact that COVID-19 has had on treatment plans and why things will take a long time to get back to any kind of normal.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought huge challenges to our health service and to society, and I hope that by explaining some of the challenges that fertility clinics face, I can remove some of the confusion, and help to restore some faith in the fertility service.

HFEA-licensed fertility clinics come in all shapes and sizes. Some provide only NHS treatment, some both NHS and private, and others just private treatment. A number of clinics are standalone facilities, whereas others are attached to existing NHS hospital sites. Some clinics may have the capacity within the laboratories, scan rooms and procedure rooms to provide additional treatments, whereas others may be bursting at the seams and unable to grow any more in their current location.

Some fertility clinics provide only a few hundred fertility cycles per year, and others provide several thousand, which means clinics will also differ significantly in the number of patients whose treatment was put on hold when clinics were instructed to stop providing treatment.

The types of staff providing the specialist fertility services also differ between clinics. Some private clinics may rely on NHS anaesthetists, medical consultants and nursing staff to provide private fertility treatments outside of their contracted NHS hours. Others may have a dedicated team of specialists providing private fertility care. Clinics within the NHS will also rely on anaesthetists working elsewhere within the NHS. Some clinics may be part of a group of clinics, offering more deployable staff, whereas others operate in isolation with staff dedicated to just one clinic. Furthermore, during this period of closure, nursing, medical and scientific clinic staff, from both private and NHS clinics may have been redeployed to support NHS services during the COVID-19 crisis, again affecting the number of staff available for fertility services.

Clinics within an NHS Trust may have HFEA approval but may be awaiting local NHS Trust approval to reopen due to restricted footfall in the hospital and the continued need for redeployed staff to support other services, whereas standalone private clinics may not have the same problem. On the other hand, clinics within an NHS Trust will have secured supplies of suitable personal protective equipment (PPE) and local infection control expertise, whereas private clinics may not have sufficient PPE nor advice available to be able to open immediately.

In short, although our clinics provide very similar fertility services, each has its own unique circumstances determining what will be a suitable strategy for reopening. This means that the way and the rate at which they re-open will be very different, and the number of patients 'on hold' and desperately waiting to re-start their treatment will also vary.

Although some clinics submitted their self-assessment to the HFEA for approval at the earliest opportunity, other clinics may need a little longer to build or implement their strategy. And although the HFEA list of approved clinics is growing each day, those approved clinics all have very different strategies created for their own unique service. All clinics, regardless of size, location or funding type, will have a number of patients who had to have their treatment cancelled or postponed and who need to be given priority in resuming their treatment. All clinics will undoubtedly need to re-open services at a lower capacity than before to ensure they keep their patients and their staff safe.

To answer the question directly: the differences between clinics means that the resumption of licensed treatment will look different across centres. Whatever the unique circumstances for your clinic, please be reassured that they, and the HFEA, are prioritising patient and staff safety by minimising the risk of COVID-19 transmission but still ensuring that you have the very best chance of a successful outcome within a high quality service.

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'Authorised to resume licensed treatments' following COVID-19 closure: what does this actually mean for a fertility clinic? - BioNews

Embryology

Israeli, US researchers to get $7.3 million for joint agriculture projects – The Times of Israel

A joint US-Israeli agricultural research and development fund has approved grants of $7.3 million for 22 research projects done jointly by Israeli and US researchers.

The 2020 research grants will go to 20 US and nine Israeli institutions, and the projects approved are in a wide range of fields including agricultural economics, agricultural engineering, animal production, animal health, crop health and production, water and renewable resources, and food production, BARD-the US-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund, said in a statement on Sunday.

This year, BARD will also grant ten postdoctoral fellowships, four BARD senior research fellowships supporting American scientists who will conduct research in Israel, and two joint US-Israel workshops, the statement said.

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Fifty percent of the research grant recipients are early career scientists. They get an opportunity to work side-by-side with leading, experienced scientists, thus acquiring a crucial body of knowledge and expertise, the statement said.

This year we are facing many challenges as the coronavirus pandemic poses a threat to food security all over the world, said Yoram Kapulnik, BARDs executive director. The Ag research and development community has been influenced by this crisis yet the great minds in research and development will also be the ones to lead us safely towards finding new solutions and coping with the various challenges that have arisen. The wide array of research proposals approved is a testament to the excellent and innovative agriculture research communities both in the US and in Israel.

Among the projects approved for the grants are a project studying Beta-glucans as growth promoters and antibiotic alternatives in poultry; the development of salmonella sensing-based antibacterials for use in poultry; and the use of in-vitro embryo production and gene editing to study embryology in sheep.

Over the past 40 years BARD has funded more than 1,330 research projects with a total investment of $315 million. This research has led to some 200 new agricultural practices, 40 commercial deals, and 100 patent-series and breeding rights licenses, the statement said. The joint projects have helped both the Israeli and US economies and agricultural communities, as well as the continued collaboration among scientists in Israel and the US even after the projects are over, the statement said.

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Israeli, US researchers to get $7.3 million for joint agriculture projects - The Times of Israel

Embryology

Over 180 fertility specialists trained in Africa through Merck Foundation – The Southern Times

Sharon Kavhu

WindhoekOver 180 doctors across Africa and Asia have received clinical and practical training for fertility specialists and embryologists under Merck Foundations Embryology and Fertility Program, The Southern Times has learnt.

The initiative which is also part of the foundations More Than A Mother campaignwhichhas trained doctors from countries such as:Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, CAR, Cte D'IVOIRE, DRC, Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malaysia, Liberia, Mali, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nigeria, Niger, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, The Gambia, Togo, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In an interview, Merck Foundations Chief Executive Officer Dr Rasha Kelej told The Southern Times that the program has introduced debut fertility specialists and embryologiststraining programsin some African countries.

We are veryproud that we made history in many countrieswhere we trained the first fertility specialists and embryologists. These countries include: Divas, Chad, Nige, Central African Republic, Zambian, Malawi, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Rwanda, said Kelej.

Through Merck Foundations Embryology and Fertility Program, doctors now appreciate the psychological and emotional stress that infertile couples face andthe best ways toaddress their needs accordingly. Fertility specialists in Africa have been exposed to better ways of counselling their patients to ensure that they are emotionally stable while attending to their medical needs.

Kelej said the training has significantly increased the numbers and broadened the understanding of fertility specialists across Africa and Asia on how infertility clinics should be conducted in order to break the infertility stigma, and encouragesmen to join their wives for treatment. She said the training is also a huge positive step towards creating awareness on infertility prevention.

She added, The doctors we trained have taken an extra mile in their approach, the training graduates from Ghana and Liberia for instance, have moved into communities to educate people on infertility and the need to break the stigma around infertile couples and especially around women.

Merck Foundation has also supported the establishment of the first ever Public In vitro fertilization (IVF) centres in Rwanda and Ethiopia. Meanwhile, in Uganda, Merck Foundation is still waiting for the list of candidates proposed by the countrys ministry of health to start the training program.

IVF is an assisted reproductive technology where fertilization is done by extracting eggs and retrieving sperm samples and then manually combining the egg and sperm in a laboratory dish.

The IVF centres in those countries have recorded several stories and celebrations of first babies for couples who suffered infertility for over ten years. Such news gives us joy, said Kelej.

She said at least 1,400 couples have benefited from the IVF sites in Rwanda and Ethiopia centres which are less than a year old. Rwanda and Ethiopia recorded 1,000 and 400 couples respectively.

While the COVID-19 phase has inconvenienced travelling, Merck Foundation has started a scholarship program for one year online diploma and two years master degree in sexual and reproductive medicines from the United Kingdom Universities. Kelej said her foundation is looking forward to receiving the most of proposed candidates from each African country and the program will scale up to South East Asia.

Original post:
Over 180 fertility specialists trained in Africa through Merck Foundation - The Southern Times

Embryology

New data supports the theory of Neanderthal’s low genetic diversity as the main cause for their extinction – HeritageDaily

What caused the disappearance of the Homo Neanderthalensis, a species that seemingly had as many capabilities as the Homo Sapiens?

There are several theories that attempt to explain it: the climate, competition with the Homo Sapiens, low genetic diversity A study that Valencia University (UV) participates in has analysed the first cervical vertebra from several Neanderthals and confirms that the genetic diversity of the population was low, which hindered their ability to adapt to possible changes to their surroundings and, therefore, their survival. The study has been published in the Journal of Anatomy.

Professor Juan Alberto Sanchis Gimeno, from the Department of Human Anatomy and Embryology at the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry of the UV, the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC) and the National Centre of Research on Human Evolution (CENIEH) all took part in the study. Three vertebrae from the Kaprina (Croatia) site have been analysed, and material from other sites has been revised.

Neanderthals populated the European continent merely 30,000 years ago, and their disappearance continues being a mystery. Work deciphering their genome has been conducted to learn their genetic diversity, as well as analysing different anatomic traits of the fossil register of the species. In this study we focused on the anatomic variants of the first cervical vertebra, known as the atlas. The anatomic variants of this vertebra have a strong link with genetic diversity: the greater the prevalence of this type of anatomic variants, the lower the genetic diversity of the population, explains MNCN researcher Carlos A. Palancar.

In Homo Sapiens, the anatomic variants of the atlas have been thoroughly studied in recent years. In the case of modern humans, the atlas shows anatomic variants in almost 30% of cases. However, probably due to the bad preservation of this cervical vertebra and the limited material recovered in the fossil register, the atlas of Neanderthals have been looked at this way, explains UV professor Juan Alberto Sanchis Gimeno.

Recently, researchers from the Palaeoanthropology Group of the MNCN established the presence of several anatomic variants in the atlases of Neanderthals of the El Sidrn (Asturias) site. With the objective of confirming the high prevalence of the anatomic variants of this species, the fossil atlases of Neanderthals from the Krapina (Croatia) site have been thoroughly analysed. Krapina is a site that is around 130,000 years old, compared to the 50,000 of El Sidrn. It is the site from where the largest amount of Neanderthal remains have been recovered, which makes it a sample of especial interest for the analysis of the genetic diversity of this species, as all individuals potentially belonged to the same population, says Daniel Garca-Martnez, researcher at the CENIEH.

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The study of the anatomy of the three atlases recovered at this site has revealed the presence of anatomic variants in two of them (66%). One of them, known as Unclosed Transverse Foramen, UTF, has a prevalence of just 10% in modern humans. Verifying the presence of these anatomic variants in Krapina, along with the revision of other atlases submitted to the scientific community, which has not been analysed from this viewpoint heretofore and which offers similar data (over 50%), suggest that the amount of variants in Neanderthals is significantly greater than in current humans, says Palancar. This data supports the theory that their genetic diversity was very low and confirms that it could have been one of the causes for their disappearance, concludes MNCN researcher Markus Bastir.

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New data supports the theory of Neanderthal's low genetic diversity as the main cause for their extinction - HeritageDaily