CANBERRA, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Using frozen embryos for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) is as effective as using fresh embryos, an Australian study has found.
The study, released by the University of Adelaide, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI) and University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, found that the ongoing pregnancy rates and live births in IVF women were similar from frozen and fresh embryos.
Researchers studied 800 women who had infertility not related to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Participants were given one treatment of IVF where either a fresh or thawed embryo was transferred.
Ongoing pregnancy occurred in 36 percent of women in the frozen embryo group, compared to 35 percent of women in the fresh group.
Frozen embryos also had a slight advantage in the live birth rate with 34 percent of that group giving birth compared to 32 percent of the other group.
"Previous research has shown that women who experience infertility because of PCOS benefit from significantly higher live birth rates from frozen embryos in IVF procedures, but evidence was lacking for this approach in non-PCOS patients," the University of Adelaide's Ben Mol said in a media release on Thursday.
"This new study shows that infertile women not suffering from PCOS have equivalent live IVF birth rates from frozen embryos, which is important news for infertile women worldwide.
"Our key finding is that freezing embryos for IVF is not harming a couple's chances of having a baby. After the first fresh embryo transfer, it will be possible to freeze the remaining embryos and transfer them one by one, which is safe and effective.
"We have been delighted to provide our expertise to what will become an increasingly important field of research in the region. The study took just over a year to recruit participants, which is unheard of according to Western standards."
