Category Archives: Embryology

Embryology

Hundreds of patients affected by closure of IVF clinics – RTE.ie

A leading fertility specialist has said it is unlikely that IVF treatments will resume in Ireland before June.

Fertility clinics have been closed since the middle of last month leaving hundreds of patients in limbo.

Dr John Kennedy, Group Medical Director of Sims IVF, told RT's Morning Ireland that the cancellation of treatment was "awful", but that it was not possible to keep clinics open and maintain social distancing.

"You can take all the precautions with regard to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), but it is by no means perfect and if you have a good stockpile of PPE that should probably be in the hands of the general hospitals at this point," he said.

Around 6,000 IVF cycles are undertaken every year in Ireland.

"We generally would have (egg) transfers booked four to six weeks in advance so we had a full transfer list for April.

"That's four or five transfers a day, five days a week. We are having to cancel all of them on a rolling basis so the numbers are mounting up all the time," Dr Kennedy explained.

He said Sims, like other clinics around the country, are still carrying out video consultations and responding to patient queries. However, no clinical procedures are being undertaken.

The initial decision to stop treatment came following advice from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) on 15 March.

The ESHRE recommendation was based on concerns over the impact of Covid-19 on early pregnancy, however, many IVF patients felt their personal choice was being taken away.

Speaking to RT's Morning Ireland, awoman, who did not want to be named, said:"We have been treated like brood mares. I feel as though my rights, my liberty has been taken away.

"I do not have autonomy over my own body, my own reproductive system. It is abhorrent."

Dr Kennedy described the timeline for reopening clinics as the "million dollar question".

"My gut is telling me nothing good is going to happen in April, it is unlikely something will happen in May, but certainly after that if all the clinics are still closed really everything is going to start to struggle an awful lot."

Caitriona McPartlin, Chief Operating Officer of the ReproMed clinics in Dublin and Galway, said they were attempting to establish protocols to continue to treat patients.

"Once we know that we can open safely following the guidance of the Department of Health, we will do so," she said.

Dr Kennedy said that "in the fullness of time" clinics may have to "live with" additional risks.

"A lot of women that we have are on the clock and as months go by and people get older statistical chances of success drop and that's a terrible thing," he said.

Denise Phillips from Newbridge, Co Kildare, was just about to start a cycle of IVF when she was told the treatment could not proceed.

"It was a big shock because you mentally build yourself up so much that when somebody tells you that you can't go ahead it is just devastating. Beyond devastating."

Denise and her husband, Mark, have a five year-old daughter from a previous IVF treatment and had hoped to expand their family this year.

"I had an initial consultation and was going in to start my scans, get my medication and start our journey but then I got a phone call saying that all IVF cycles were postponed or cancelled.

"Obviously, the Government has to do things that are right, but it's awful for somebody to take away your chance after all that's already been taken from you. What happens if this is around for a long time?"

Denise said that fertility patients are suffering "huge anxiety".

"Their families don't know they are having treatment and they are in isolation. They don't want to leave the house in case they pick up something and then won't be able to get treatment once the clinics reopen. Everyone's mind is racing."

Once fertility services resume, there are concerns over a potential backlog of patients. However, Dr Kennedy said plans are being made to increase opening hours and treatment capacity.

He said: "We are retaining staff and holding on to people so when it comes time to hit the ground running we are in a position to do so.

"It is in everyone's interest to reopen. It will be all hands to the pump."

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Hundreds of patients affected by closure of IVF clinics - RTE.ie

Embryology

4-H Incubation and Embryology online program – Times Herald-Record

MIDDLETOWN Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County 4-H Program will be beginning a new online series called Incubation and Embryology Online hosted by Maggie Smith, 4-H Animal Science Program Manager.

Typically, Incubation and Embryology is a Program that 4-H would partner with local schools to implement in grades one through three to spend twenty-five days learning all about the importance of incubation and embryology. Teachers and students would participate in this great hands-on science activity and physically watch the transformation of embryo to chick.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and schools being closed, Maggie Smith and the Orange County 4-H Youth Development team are working to bring their programming to youth and families who are now spending most of their time home and social distancing. Smith will be completing the entire Incubation and Embryology Program herself and creating videos for youth to be able to watch and learn.

Incubation and Embryology Online will be separated into two 15-20 minute video recordings twice a week and will be viewable on Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange Countys YouTube Channel, social media accounts and website at cceorangecounty.org/resources/incubation-and-embryology-2020. Videos will be launched Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m.

Here is the entire class date and lesson schedule for the Incubation and Embryology Online Program:

April 7 Introduction to Incubation and Embryology for Chickens and Ducks

April 14 Parts of the Egg

April 16 Candling our Chicken and Duck Eggs

April 21 Science Experiments with Eggs

April 23 Getting our Brooder Boxes Ready

April 28 Watching our Chicken Eggs Hatch!

April 30 Play Date and Chick Facts

May 5 Watching our Duck Eggs Hatch!

May 7 Play Date and Duckling Facts

For more information, follow on the CCE Facebook page, Orange County 4-H Facebook page, by visiting cceorangecounty.org and their YouTube channel: CCE Orange.

For more information call Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County at 344-1234.

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4-H Incubation and Embryology online program - Times Herald-Record

Embryology

You Can Thrive In This New Normal! You Absolutely Can! – Thrive Global

Today when I entered the balcony it was like entering a secret garden, entering another dimension. It was not my first time going on the balcony. But first time experiencing entering a secret garden. I have always loved nature and it inspires me. But feeling you have entered a secret garden? That is something else!

God has said He will do something new. Isaiah 43. I have read it before, but it never caught my attention until a few days ago. I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people

Desert, is somewhere parched, so thirsty for freshwater. Have we been parched? Thirsty for freshwater? To play in? To drink? To swim in? Water is life, a source of joy. All civilizations are beside the water, even a well of water. Maybe we have been thirsty. Thirsty to slow down, to have better relationships, better communication with our loved ones, to have more peace and joy in our lives.

I have been praying Let me see wonderful things about your law. Nature is beautiful and I have always loved it. Recently I have slowed down more thanks to this new situation. I think more, about sophistication and the beauty of nature. When I go to the balcony I can hear 5, 6 different birds chirping, see so many colors in trees and flowers, breath, and feel the air on my skin. It all is Gods beautiful creation. I heard Rick Warren said on his podcast that God overdoses in variety! He does! And I am so glad He does.

So dear one do not panic, do not get anxious when looking at this new situation. If God brings so many flowers and birds and has made your body( and let me tell you from the perspective of a physician who has studied human anatomy, immunology, physiology, embryology and so much more, YOU ARE MADE SO AMAZINGLY!), then He is so much more resourceful than just letting us be in this situation.

I have been listening to the audiobook of Law of Attraction, Ask and It Will Be Given. If you think it is a woohooery, and just something warm and fuzzy or superstitious, bear with me. Thanks to Jen Sincero, and her amazing book, and program, my mindset has grown a lot. Then I picked up this book. We are so much more capable than we think we are. If you want to listen to radio station 107 FM and you tune into 115 FM you definitely will miss your station. The same is with life.

So If you have been thirsty for peace, joy, being loved, better communication and relationships, and spending more time with your loved ones, I want to encourage you to look at this situation with new eyes. Do not see that as limiting or frustrating, but see the treasures hidden in it.

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You Can Thrive In This New Normal! You Absolutely Can! - Thrive Global

Embryology

Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom offers distance learning videos – The Rock River Times

Staff Report

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. Illinois families doing their part to social distance during school and restaurant closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic can add additional agriculture educational activities to the digital resources at their fingertips.

Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC) and the state agriculture education system are offering online lessons and resources to help educators, parents and students, especially while schools statewide are closed.

An IAITC video lesson is a new addition to the programs selection of online ag-related lessons and resources. IAITC plans to provide videos at noon Monday through Friday featuring simple lesson demonstrations that link to a worksheet, website and other resources. A milk lesson video was first in the new lineup.

We think many schools are looking to find alternative activities or e-learning activities, said Kevin Daugherty, Illinois Center for Agricultural Engagement director. Along with providing teachers and students another educational option, this helps integrate agriculture into curriculum, said Daugherty.

Second in the IAITC lineup is a 10 a.m. Monday through Friday poultry embryology activity featuring chickens being hatched.

Information and resources may be found on IAITCs website or Facebook page. County literacy coordinators will also share information through social media.

Video lesson one Where does my milk come from? can be accessed here.

Video lesson two Illinois eggs in the classroom can be accessed here.

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Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom offers distance learning videos - The Rock River Times

Embryology

My husband and I cant agree on our future after IVF. How do we move on? – The Guardian

My husband and I both have fertility issues and underwent IVF. We were lucky to conceive our child (who is now one) on the first attempt; it was a complicated, high-risk pregnancy. After the birth I had some health issues, including postnatal depression (PND), but have now recovered. I think my husband found this much more stressful than I did.

We originally wanted two or three children. Before beginning IVF, we agreed to use all the embryos from the cycle. However, he now says that he thought we agreed to use all the embryos until we had a child, then decide what to do with any that were left (I believe this may be a genuine miscommunication).

We have one frozen embryo remaining, which I am desperate to use. I understand its unlikely to work, but the grief in that event would be better for me than the uncertainty of leaving it. My husband doesnt want the stress of another pregnancy, although specialists have said its unlikely to be as much of a problem a second time. He also sees the embryo as just cells, not our potential child.

Added to this, we agreed to move to his home country for five or six years once we had children. He is keen to leave soon but I feel too mama bear about our embryo to even think about it. I can accept not having a second child, but hate the idea of never giving this embryo a chance. How can we get through this impasse?

Congratulations on the birth of your baby. Im sorry to hear you had such a rough time. It must have been hard on you and your husband. While attention rightly went to you, I do think partners (and their trauma) are often overlooked after difficult pregnancies and births. This may be at the heart of your husbands resistance to try again. He may want to protect and cherish what he has and not, as he perceives it, risk it.

I consulted couples and family therapist Armele Philpotts (bacp.co.uk). She felt there were three issues you disagree about: how many children you both ultimately want; what to do with the final embryo; and where you end up living. Its important to focus on each issue separately and not lump them together. Because discussions around the embryo, for example, probably touch on core values such as ethics and beliefs, Philpotts suggested, while the moving is more about practicalities.

She pointed out that, when you originally discussed how many children you wanted and moving abroad, your world was different. Now you have been through a difficult pregnancy and PND, youre sleep-deprived and trying to make space for these conversations while being new parents. In other words, you need to start these conversations afresh, based on where you are now. You also need to allow yourselves a bit of time. I know you are keen to get on but, with a one-year-old, youre still very much in newparent territory, with all that brings.

Philpotts suggested making proper time for these conversations: find a babysitter, put a date in the diary and create space to talk about the issues individually. She also thought that you and your husband were focused on, and avoiding, different things. You are focused on the embryo, but minimising the difficulties before and after birth. He is distancing himself from the embryo and focusing on the problems surrounding the pregnancy and birth. It might help to acknowledge this, because you need actively to listen to each others fears and not bat them away in attempting to justify your own points.

You might think you know what these fears are but its important to voice them. If you can open up a space where you can talk safely and explore the way you feel, there might be room for a bit of give and take. You might decide, for example, that you will move abroad if you try for another child. Compromise is the best way forward. Otherwise, you end up with one person getting what they want and the other not, which is a breeding ground for resentment. Can you put the move on hold to buy more time?

Alternatively, you can leave the country and come back for the embryo make sure your clinic has your new details, or take the embryo with you with the help of your UK clinic. The Human Fertility and Embryology Authority website has information on importing and exporting embryos and the conditions that need to be met.

Send your problem to annalisa.barbieri@mac.com. Annalisa regrets she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Comments on this piece are premoderated to ensure the discussion remains on the topics raised by the article. Please be aware that there may be a short delay in comments appearing on the site.

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My husband and I cant agree on our future after IVF. How do we move on? - The Guardian

Embryology

Women told NOT to have IVF amid the coronavirus outbreak by fertility watchdog – Infosurhoy

Women are being urged not to have IVF amid the coronavirus outbreak over fears the virus negatively affects pregnancy.

A statement issued by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology says all couples considering fertility treatment should avoid becoming pregnant at this time.

It advised those who are already having IVF to consider freezing their eggs or the embryos they have created for a pregnancy until the pandemic is halted.

Meanwhile a mother-to-be is concerned hospitals will be overwhelmed when she is due to give birth next month.

Natalie Lyons, from Derby, is due to give birth to her second child in a month. She says she is doing her best not to panic, but is concerned about hospitals becoming overwhelmed and has struggled to get hold of supplies such as nappies.

The 33-year-old mother-of-one has followed the Governments advice and yesterday stopped her job as a hairdresser to start maternity leave three weeks early.

Im trying not to panic but when you have a baby you need all these supplies, and how are we meant to get them if were advised to stay inside?

ESHRE says all those considering or planning treatment to have a baby should put it on hold as a precautionary measure.

But many of the 68,000 women who choose to have IVF every year in the UK are in their late thirties and have little time to delay.

It comes following reports of women infected with coronavirus giving birth to premature babies in China.

However ESHRE which provides guidance for fertility clinics across Europe and in the UK notes the reports are based on limited data with no strong evidence.

In its statement, ESHRE said: As a precautionary measure and in line with the position of other scientific societies in reproductive medicine we advise that all fertility patients considering or planning treatment, even if they do not meet the diagnostic criteria for Covid-19 infection, should avoid becoming pregnant at this time.

The NHS today revealed it would send pregnant staff to lower risk hospitals in areas with few cases of the virus as the crisis escalates over fears for their safety.

And mothers-to-be are strongly advised to follow social distancing measures such as avoiding public transport, socialising in groups or going to the cinema or reataruants.

Despite this, the Royal College of Midwives yesterday urged them to attend antenatal appointments.

The UKs chief medical adviser, Professor Chris Whitty, said there is currently no evidence to suggest any coronavirus-related complications in pregnancy.

But he added the UK was still very early in what we know about this, stating: Infections and pregnancy are not a good combination in general and that is why we have taken the very precautionary measure while we try and find out more.

Yesterday the Prime Minister said millions of the elderly and most vulnerable will need to shield themselves from social contact and stay at home for three months.

But theadvice stopped short of defining explicitly who needs to stay at home.

Pregnant women in the UK are expected to be among those told in the coming days to self-isolate for 12 weeks and avoid non-essential contact with others.

Boris Johnson acknowledged that drastic action was required to quell the spread of the deadly coronavirus which has killed 55 and infected more than 1,500 throughout the country.

By the weekend, those with the most serious conditions will be advised to take steps to ensure they are largely shielded from social contact for around 12 weeks.

It comes afterNHS hospitals were told tocancel operations for three months in a bid to free up 30,000 beds in preparation for a surge in coronavirus patients.

In a call to arms letter sent to hospital bosses today, NHS Englandsaid trusts should cancel all non-urgent surgeries starting from April 15 for at least 12 weeks.

It is hoped the measure could free up a third of the 100,000 hospital beds in England so the health service is not overwhelmed by the pandemic.

Staff who have family members self-isolating at home will also be offered to stay in a hotel for free so they can continue working and not have to join them in quarantine.

The letter, which laid out the health services coronavirus battle plan, also called for all inpatients who are medically fit to be discharged immediately.

It stated that staff must take part in special training for dealing with a high number of patients on ventilators andbegin work setting up makeshift intensive care wards.

The call to arms comes after the UK suffered 407 more coronavirus infections and two more deaths.It means there are now officially 1,950 people with the disease and 71 have succumbed to it.

Any cancer operations and patients needing emergency treatment will not be affected by the new measures.

The letter from NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens said: The operational aim is to expand critical care capacity to the maximum; free up 30,000 (or more) of the English NHSs 100,000 general and acute beds.

Assume that you will need to postpone all non-urgent elective operations from 15 April at the latest, for a period of at least three months.

However you also have full local discretion to wind down elective activity over the next 30 days as you see best, so as to free up staff for refresher training, beds for Covid-19 patients, and theatres/recovery facilities for adaptation work.

In the meantime hospitals were told to do as much elective surgery, such as hip operations and knee replacements, as possible so that by mid-April there are thousands more free beds.

Sir Simon warned frontline staff that dealing with the outbreak was going to be a very difficult time.

He said those required to self-isolate because a family member has symptoms or has tested positive will be offered to stay in a hotel.

The letter adds: For those staff affected by PHEs 14 day household isolation policy, staff should on an entirely voluntary basis be offered the alternative option of staying in NHS-reimbursed hotel accommodation while they continue to work.

Pregnant, elderly and staff with underlying conditions will either be moved to lower risk hospitals in areas with few cases, according to the document.

Clinicians who fall under this category will be able to do online or video consultations from home.

As well as keeping staff healthy, Sir Simon said it was vital NHS staff were trained about how to care for ventilated patients.

He gave trusts two weeks to put all clinical and patient facing staff through refresher training.

Sir Simon added that patients who did not need to be in hospital should be discharged as quickly as possible adding: Community health providers must take immediate full responsibility for urgent discharge of all eligible patients identified by acute providers on a discharge list.

For those needing social care, emergency legislation before Parliament this week will ensure that eligibility assessments do not delay discharge.

This could potentially free up to 15,000 acute beds currently occupied by patients awaiting discharge or with lengths of stay over 21 days.

The letter confirmed that recently retired staff would be asked to return to the health service during the crisis and that medical students would be fast tracked into the NHS.

As the NHS ramped up its coronavirus efforts, the governments chief scientific adviser today revealed there are likely to be as many as 55,000 cases of coronavirusin the UK.

Sir Patrick Vallance said modelling of the spread of the disease in Britain showed that for every death there was likely to be 1,000 positive cases.

Latest official statistics put the death toll at 55 which means it is a reasonable sort of ballpark to think there are now more than 50,000 cases nationwide, he said.

Last week the government estimated the number of cases was likely to be between 5-10,000.

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Women told NOT to have IVF amid the coronavirus outbreak by fertility watchdog - Infosurhoy

Embryology

Israel halts all new IVF treatments over coronavirus fears – The Times of Israel

Israels Health Ministry last week suspended all new in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, as well as some already in process, in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, throwing thousands of hopeful couples into uncertainty, as their dreams of having a child were put on hold indefinitely.

It was not an easy decision, the chairman of the Israel Fertility Association, Dr. Adrian Shulman, told The Times of Israel on Sunday.

In vitro fertilization literally, in glass fertilization typically involves a round of hormone treatments to stimulate a womans ovaries follicles, in order to produce several mature eggs; a procedure to retrieve those eggs; incubating the eggs with sperm in order to fertilize them (this is the in glass part); selecting the embryo, or embryos, with the best chance of a successful pregnancy; and implanting it or them in a womans uterus, where the embryo will hopefully implant, and develop into a fetus.

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IVF is a difficult process technically and emotionally that requires close, regular monitoring and, even when done properly, statistically fails more often than it succeeds. Yet in Israel, which has the highest rate of IVF in the world, roughly five percent of all births come from the procedure, according to Health Ministry data from 2017.

In calling off IVF treatments, Israel was following the path of similar decisions made by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in recent weeks, Shulman said.

Shayna Kovler, whose IVF cycle was called off just as it was about to begin, said she was driven to begin a cycle of treatment precisely because of the ongoing coronavirus crisis, in which so much is uncertain.

It was an act of hope, of something to look forward to, Kovler told The Times of Israel.

A Health Ministry spokesperson said that it had ordered all new cycles of IVF called off, along with any treatment where the size of the ovary follicle was smaller than 15 millimeters. (A woman whose ovary follicle has reached 15 millimeters would be toward the end of the hormone treatment, likely two to three days away from egg retrieval.)

In addition, the implantation of embryos was halted.

The move came amid a series of directives from the Health Ministry to curb non-essential medical procedures and a general effort in Israel to prevent the spread of the virus, which has thus far killed one person and infected roughly another 1,000.

Workers inside a building at Tel HaShomer Hospital which was converted to receive Israelis who were under quarantine on the cruise ship Diamond Princess in Japan due to the spread of the coronavirus, February 20, 2020. (Avshalom Sassoni/ Flash90)

According to Shulman, the ministry wanted to halt all procedures across the board, but he and his colleagues fought to let those already in the midst of treatment to continue.

We said it wouldnt be right to stop in the middle, he said.

However, Kovler said she was aware of a woman undergoing IVF who had been asked to stop her treatment much further along in the process, at the point where an embryo would be implanted in her uterus.

She lauded her doctor, who had told her in advance that her treatment might be called off, but said that other women she knew were surprised by the decision.

Other were told on Sunday that everythings fine and then on Wednesday that everything was not, Kovler said.

Shulman said he and his colleagues at the IFA, along with the Health Ministry, determined that there was a twofold risk in allowing IVF treatments to continue: for patients and staff, there was an increased risk of contracting COVID-19, as the close monitoring often results in cramped waiting rooms where the disease could easily spread; and for the potential babies, there is an unknown danger from the coronavirus, as it is not yet clear what effect,if any, the virus has on fetuses.

Though some steps could be taken to mitigate the risk to the doctors, nurses, and the women undergoing IVF, the careful timing needed to track the womens ovulation limits the clinics ability to fully prevent the gathering of sometimes 40 to 50 women in the waiting rooms, Shulman said.

It would be difficult to spread this out throughout the day, he said.

Shulman said that the issue of the effects of the coronavirus on fetuses should be cleared up by researchers within the coming weeks and months, aided he anticipated by a quarantine-assisted baby boom.

I expect there will be more pregnancies, a baby boom, with everyone at home, he said.

Shulman said it was decided that the risks were too great and that the procedures must be called off, though he acknowledged that the decision was based on uncertainties and concerns, rather than hard empirical data.

In a few months, we might say we made a mistake, that it was all nonsense, he said.

It is not immediately clear when IVF treatments will again be allowed. Shulman said he expected them to resume in late April or early May, but much will depend on the viruss behavior.

Shayna Kovler. (Courtesy)

Kovler said that shed heard the estimates that treatments may start up sometime late next month, after the Passover festival. But she was concerned by the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus.

We dont know how long this will last. Am I supposed to wait 18 months until theres a vaccine? she said.

Kovler, 31, who has already been through 10 rounds of fertility treatments, including one of IVF, and underwent open-heart surgery in order to fix an underlying problem that would have prevented her from safely getting pregnant, argued that she and the other women looking to go through IVF treatments were already aware of the multiple risks involved in the process, both to themselves and to their babies, and were willing to go through with it anyway.

The desire to have a child is a very deep desire, she said.

Kovler, 31, also noted that for most women, IVF is a last-resort measure, when other fertility treatments have failed and the window of time when they can safely have children is closing.

[My husband and I] would like to have two kids, she said. But I do feel my biological clock ticking.

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Israel halts all new IVF treatments over coronavirus fears - The Times of Israel

Embryology

How Bourn Hall Clinic, the worlds first IVF clinic, was launched 40 years ago – Cambridge Independent

As a new biography of IVF pioneer Robert Edwards is launched, we talk to Bourn Hall Clinics first business director, Alan Dexter, who describes how financial backing was secured, to open the worlds first IVF clinic.

Being transparent with patients over their chances of success with a groundbreaking treatment for female infertility was a priority, recalls Alan Dexter.

He stepped in at the eleventh hour to help IVF pioneers Robert Edwards, Patrick Steptoe and Jean Purdy raise finance to open Bourn Hall as the worlds first IVF clinic in 1980.

When the clinic opened, the initial stages were not easy. People were phoning up and asking about our success rate, Alan remembers. I had to say to have a success rate first we have to treat people! But then the first successful pregnancy was achieved and it started to build.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Bourn Hall first opening its doors to patients. IVF was initially developed as a treatment for women like Louises mother, Lesley, with blocked fallopian tubes and there was a lot of stigma and secrecy around infertility.

Alan recalls: In the early days, people didnt want others to know theyd had difficulty conceiving, so they came with cash. For if you wrote the name Bourn Hall on the cheque, the bank staff would know you were seeking a test-tube baby.

Alan Dexter was Bourn Halls first business director; came in at a crucial time before Bourn Hall opened to provide the commercial knowledge.

His first meeting with the team was in Professor Edwards lab at the University of Cambridge just after their internationally acclaimed success in Oldham and the births of the first test-tube babies - Louise Brown, in 1978, and Alastair Macdonald, in 1979.

I met Bob and Jeanie (Jean Purdy) initially, and then Patrick subsequently. I was just stunned, I couldnt believe that nobody would advance their cause.

They were literally caught between two tools because the NHS was saying this was still science and there were more phases of research needed, yet the Medical Research Council was saying it wasnt, theyd proved it with two live births. They asked if I could help them in any way I agreed, he says.

At that stage the team had found a suitable location a Jacobean manor in its own grounds with temporary accommodation for patients and staff and the funds had been provided by Associated Newspapers.

However, without the backing of the establishment for what was at the time a futuristic medical treatment, the proprietors of the newspaper business had a change of heart.

Alan continues: They were concerned that the treatment might be attacked by other parts of the media and the response was no sorry, but we think that this is at the edge of science and are not prepared to go any further. They were about to sell the hall.

I went with Bob and Patrick to meet the head of Associated Newspapers. We asked him to stop the auction process to see if I could raise the money to buy the hall.

I looked at the feasibility study that they had produced, revised the business plan and went on a tour of the city.I wasnt getting far when I saw an advert in the Financial Times for ICFC, which became 3i, offering funding for high technology projects and I thought, Right, Im going to test that! and they were as good as their word.

Bourn Hall was one of the first companies to become part of the Cambridge phenomenon, which saw a rapid increase in high-tech and life science companies setting up in the region.

The pricing for treatment was complicated, as initially IVF required women to stay in bed for about 10 days.

An early patient, Lesley Smith, mother of Norfolks first IVF twins, remembers paying about 1,800 for treatment, the equivalent of 8,967 today.

Alan continues: The principle, I agreed with Bob and Patrick, was a package with a standard charge including accommodation, regardless of how long patients were in there.

It would have been unconscionable to say Actually, because ovulation was delayed its going to cost you more. If treatment was cancelled for any reason and could not progress any further, then there was a refund based on a daily rate. Certainly, in no way was it going to be exploitative.

Muriel Harris was a matron at Oldham District Hospital 40 years ago, and had been working unpaid in her own time to ensure the success of IVF.

She came down to set up the nursing team. Muriel was so passionate about the new clinic that she volunteered to live at Bourn Hall to provide 24/7 care for the patients.

Initially, portable cabins were used for the embryology lab and medical unit.

Eventually we were in the fortunate position of being able to create the permanent buildings, remove the cabins and build in that space. That took quite a long time, recalls Alan.

Bob was very aware of the ethical concerns around his work so an ethics committee was set up very quickly with senior gynaecologists and scientists not connected with Bourn Hall, giving opinions and guidance.

In fact Dame Mary Warnock came to Bourn Hall when the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority had been set up.

Bob and Jeanie had laid out all the papers Bob had produced about ethical issues surrounding IVF over the years. She was very impressed, and she commented that Professor Edwards was years ahead in confronting the issues.

After helping to set up Bourn Hall, Alan continued to enjoy a long career in private healthcare before rejoining Bourn Hall in 2014 as chairman of the board -a post he held until his retirement last year.

Read more

Cambridgeshire fathers day joy thanks to IVF

Bourn Hall offers IVF patients genetic test to screen embryos for chromosome irregularites

Pioneering lab at Bourn Hall Clinic uncovers secrets about the biology of human eggs

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How Bourn Hall Clinic, the worlds first IVF clinic, was launched 40 years ago - Cambridge Independent

Embryology

Fertility clinics asked to suspend treatment due to coronavirus – BioNews

23 March 2020

New guidance has called for fertility clinics in the UK to minimise treatment amid the coronavirus pandemic.

UK fertility clinics have been asked to consider, but not ordered, halting fertility treatment services. While it will not be possible for most clinics to close completely due to their legal responsibility to maintain stored frozen embryosand gametes, they are asked to reduce their services to a minimum.

The guidance, issued on Wednesday by the British Fertility Society (BFS) and the Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists (ARCS), states that 'it is expected that UK licensed fertility centres will now be working to suspend treatments'.

This includes IVF, frozen embryo transfer, surgical sperm retrieval, intrauterine insemination (IUI) and ovulation induction procedures. The guidance is in line with recommendations from the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), who have advised all those considering fertility treatment to 'avoid becoming pregnant at this time'.

The news comes after Belfast's Regional Fertility Centrepostponed fertility treatment for 33 patients last week following advice from the Belfast Health Trust (see BioNews1039).

The BFS and ARCS cited the promotion of social distancing and lack of long-term evidence on the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and pregnancy as the rationale underlying their recommendations. They also urged fertility clinics to consider their 'wider social responsibility' to an already stretched NHS, as fertility treatment may cause complications in some patients.

The new measures have caused uncertainty for many undergoing or considering fertility treatment, with no indication of when the restrictions will be lifted. Speaking to the Huffington Post, Tracey Bambrough, co-founder of the magazine IVF Babble, said: 'For people who may already be experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, the coronavirus has created an additional level of anxiety.'

Another patient told the Telegraph: 'I worry my time is running out. I may not get many other chances to do this.' After trying to conceive for two years, she was awaiting IUI treatment when her clinic cancelled all procedures due to the coronavirus a situation in which many patients may now find themselves.

She added: 'I had some hope we might finally have a chance. It felt like we were on the road to something. Now, everything hangs in the balance.'

Some say the measures discriminate against those who need fertility treatment to get pregnant. Speaking to the Huffington Post, one patient said:'Everyone keeps joking that there's going to be a baby boom in nine months [from couples self-isolating together] is there going to be a public health announcement to stop fertile couples from sleeping together?'

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) have asked that clinics follow the guidance and are providing regular updates on their website.

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Fertility clinics asked to suspend treatment due to coronavirus - BioNews

Embryology

Its really upsetting when you have put your body through so much: how it feels to undergo IVF through coronavirus – Stylist Magazine

Stylist spoke three women who had been affected by the situation and explored why there is not clearer guidance from the UKs regulatory body, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

Caroline, 32, from Manchester, was told her cycle was cancelled three weeks into a gruelling routine of daily injections. I was three weeks in to my fourth IVF cycle so thats three weeks of injections and menopausal symptoms. I was due to have a scan yesterday to confirm that I can start my next lot if medication ready for transfer in just over two weeks.

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Its really upsetting when you have put your body through so much: how it feels to undergo IVF through coronavirus - Stylist Magazine