Purpose To determine the prevalence of allergy in couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the relationship between having allergy and IVF treatment outcomes. Design A retrospective cohort study of female infertility patients aged 20-49 years and their male partners undergoing IVF cycles from August 2010 to December 2016 in an academic fertility program. Results Prevalence data was collected for 493 couples (935 cycles). Over half of the female patients (54%) had at least one reported allergy versus the cited US prevalence of 10-30%. Antibiotic (54.7%) and non-antibiotic medication (39.2%) were the most common female allergy subtypes. Fewer male patients reported allergy (21.7%). Data on β-hCG outcomes were calculated for 841 cycles from 458 couples with no significant relationship found except for number of cycles including ICSI and number of embryos transferred per cycle (1.81 for those without allergy vs 2.07 for those with allergy, p = 0.07). Female patients with allergy were marginally statistically more likely to have a negative β-hCG (p = 0.07) and less likely to have a successful cycle (p = 0.06). When allergy subgroups were evaluated, there were no significant differences between groups except for a higher number of embryos transferred in women with environmental/other allergies (p = 0.02).
ConclusionThe prevalence of allergy among patients seeking infertility treatment is high compared with the general population. However, allergy was not found to be associated with IVF cycle outcomes. These findings are likely primarily limited by difficulty in defining specific allergy types within a retrospective study.
The objective of this study was to assess the level of interest in preconception carrier screening among reproductive‐aged persons presenting for gynecologic care and to identify demographic factors predictive of pursuing screening. Patients aged 18–40 who were presenting for gynecologic care at a single U.S. academic medical center were provided with information about current options for preconception carrier screening and were offered genetic counseling referral with the possibility to undergo screening. Outcomes of interest were desire for genetic counseling referral and attendance at genetic counseling visit. Statistical analyses were performed as appropriate using R version 3.6.1 with variables significant at 0.1 included in a multivariable logistic regression. Of 193 participants, 79 (41%) desired genetic counseling referral. Participants aged 25–34 (OR 3.39, 95% CI 1.47–8.10) and nulliparas (OR 2.69, 95% CI 1.23–6.03) were more likely to desire referral. Thirty‐five participants (44.3% of those who desired referral) attended a visit with genetic counseling. Having an advanced degree (OR 3.27, 95% CI 1.06–10.4) was associated with visit attendance. Thirteen participants underwent screening, and five were found to be a carrier of at least one X‐linked or autosomal recessive condition. Surprisingly, presenting for a gynecologic visit directly related to planning a pregnancy was not associated with increased interest in preconception carrier screening. Nulliparas and those aged 25–34 likely expressed greater interest in referral due to high potential for future childbearing in these groups. The increased level of visit attendance in participants with advanced degrees is likely confounded by the high level of health literacy and financial resources in this group.
Objective: Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) are complex processes with multiple and diverse opportunities for human error. Errors in ART are thought to be rare, but can have devastating consequences for patients and their offspring. The objectives of this article are to review known cases of human error in the ART laboratory and suggest preventative strategies.Methods: We performed a systematic review of the literature in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines using PubMed and Google Scholar databases. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they involved known cases of unintentional human error in the ART laboratory. Only full-text articles in English were included. References of the resulted studies were considered for inclusion.Results: A total of 420 articles were screened and 37 articles were selected for inclusion. These largely included case reports and reviews in the medical and legal literature. Twenty-two adverse events due to human error in the ART laboratory were identified. Eight of these adverse events were the result of the insemination with the wrong sperm, 6 errors lead to the transfer of the wrong embryo, 3 lead to an error in preimplantation genetic testing, and 5 adverse events lead to the failure of gamete and embryo cryostorage.Conclusions: Since the advent of ART, there have been reports of catastrophic events occurring secondary to human error in the laboratory to include incidents of unintended parentage, and have resulted in the loss of embryos and gametes through cryostorage failure. Proposed solutions include the stringent implementation and adherence to safety protocols, adequate laboratory staffing and training, and novel methods for specimen labeling and tracking. Of utmost importance is having knowledge of these errors and the ability to determine cause so that future events can be prevented.
Objective: To provide an update on single-gene mutations identified as causative for pathologic diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) to inform clinical screening recommendations. Evidence Review: A systematic review of the literature was performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines using PubMed and EM-BASE databases. Only full-text articles in English were included and articles were excluded that did not relate to single-gene causes of pathologic DOR in humans. The search was supplemented using references of the included articles. Primary outcomes included prevalence ratios (PRs) for 12 genes associated with pathologic DOR. Result(s): A total of 550 articles were screened, with 108 articles included for review. Fifteen observational studies had prevalence data available for quantitative analysis. Elevated prevalence ratios were found in women with DOR for the FMR1 premutation and FMR2 mutations as well as single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the BMP15, GDF9, FSHR, and NOBOX genes. Although some studies have suggested an increased prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in women with DOR, the prevalence in the controls in the included studies was elevated and PRs did not achieve statistical significance. Conclusion(s): Women diagnosed with DOR are at an increased risk of carrying mutations in FMR1, FMR2, and variants in BMP15, GDF9, FSHR, and NOBOX genes. Of these, the only gene identified as having the potential to cause significant deleterious effects in offspring is the FMR1 premutation, which supports current national screening guidelines. Further studies of BRCA1 and BRCA2 are needed to determine whether pathologic DOR might be associated with mutations in those genes.
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