Single embryo transfer reduces the risk of death within a month of birth for babies conceived via IVF, according to an Australian study...
It is now scientifically feasible to use preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) during IVF to screen embryos for genes associated with high cancer risk, scientists say...
Drinking more than five cups of coffee a day or having a diet with too much saturated fat could adversely affect the chances of success of fertility treatment...
Stem cells taken from amniotic fluid can be reprogrammed into a more versatile state similar to embryonic stem cells (ES cells) without the introduction of extra genes, UK scientists have found. The discovery offers hope that these cells could be banked for therapeutic use, research and drug screening...
Scientists have identified eight regions of the genetic code associated with an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis...
US researchers have for the first time sequenced the genome of a fetus using only a blood sample from the mother. It is hoped this new form of non-invasive sampling could allow doctors to screen for a range of genetic diseases prenatally, with minimal risk to the fetus...
Two novel gene variants linked to breast size may also also influence the risk of breast cancer, according to a study carried out by US genetics company 23andMe....
The funding of fertility treatment in the UK is among the lowest in Europe, according to a new study presented at the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology's annual meeting in Istanbul...
If you can get past the gruesome eye on the cover, you enter into a world of love, mathematics, farming and death, woven together in Ann Lingard's 'The Embalmer's Book of Recipes'...
From natural childbirth to infertility, breastfeeding to immunisations, there are few areas of pregnancy and childcare that are free from judgment and well-meaning advice....
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23 and You? Genome research, direct-to-consumer genetics and informed consent
by Dr Megan Allyse
When US based, direct-to-consumer genetic testing company 23andMe announced last month that it had obtained a patent on a method for determining predisposition to Parkinson's disease, it highlighted, perhaps inadvertently, a growing area of unresolved tension between clinical, commercial and research interests....
Better regulation for fertility treatment: a review of the options
by Professor Alison Murdoch
Government intends to save money by improving the efficiency of regulatory bodies. Providers of fertility treatments also favour more efficient regulation as it would help them improve their own services. This common purpose - the need for improved efficiency - is reflected in the consultation announced by the government; the central question is how it should be achieved...