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Newsletter 04 - 16 - 2007
Children Conceived Through ICSI Develop
Normally
The technique of in vitro fertilization (IVF) has been in clinical
use since 1978. Although initially developed for women with blocked
Fallopian tubes as a means of overcoming their infertility, IVF is
now useful in many medical situations and allows many couples to realize
the dream of parenthood. However, even with the advent of IVF, men
with gravely low sperm counts continued throughout the 1980’s
and early 1990’s to have little recourse for their infertility,
as their sperm often remained incapable of fertilizing an egg even
in a Petri dish. In 1994, a new technique was developed which granted
such men the hope of fatherhood. This high-tech procedure, called
intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), involves the use of a tiny
glass needle to inject a single sperm into each egg under a high-power
microscope. This stunning procedure is now performed by IVF centers
worldwide; here at the Fertility Institute of NJ&NY, our experienced
embryologists perform ICSI on thousands of eggs each year and help
bring parenthood to couples who would otherwise have no medical hope.
As with all new medical technologies, it is our duty
as physicians and scientists to ensure the safety of the treatments
we offer. For ICSI, these questions are profound: Will children
conceived with the assistance of ICSI have a greater risk of suffering
from physical impairments? From psychological problems? From developmental
delay? And if such children are found have a higher risk of various
forms of delay, is that because the procedure itself causes some
sort of damage to the egg or sperm, or because of imperfections
in the sperm themselves from a man who, without ICSI, could not
father any children at all?
A recent study performed in Belgium evaluated 66 children
conceived through ICSI, and compared them with 52 children conceived
through IVF without ICSI and another 59 children who were conceived
naturally, without any medical assistance. The study followed all
of these children through the age of 5, and found that there were
no differences among any of these children. The ICSI children did
not have any increase in birth defects, health problems, hospitalizations,
and need for any kind of surgery. Furthermore, the children were
all equivalent in their language development, physical coordination,
sociability, and adjusted IQ scores. The study concludes that the
early childhood development of ICSI-conceived children is equivalent
to that of children conceived through IVF alone or through no fertility
treatment at all.
Fortunately, as of the information available to date,
the ICSI procedure appears to be safe, and we at the Fertility Institute
of NJ&NY will continue to offer it, along with our many other
high-technology capabilities, to our patients in need.
Meet Our Staff
Dr. Anat Weisz joined our team in May 2003 as Manager of
our Embryology Laboratory. Dr. Weisz has an extensive background
in laboratory science, and has two decades of experience in teaching
and research. She received her bachelor and master of science degrees
in biology from the Hebrew University in Israel, and was awarded
her doctoral degree by the prestigious Israel Institute of Technology
(Technion). She was honored by the Gutwirth Foundation for excellence
in her doctoral research.
During a five-year tenure as Laboratory Director at
the Carmel Medical Center, Dr. Weisz focused her attention on the
high-tech fields of molecular biology and gene therapy, developing
new concepts and techniques in the treatment of vascular diseases.
She used an adenovirus vector to transmit genes capable of initiating
growth of new blood vessels, and her groundbreaking work is being
investigated throughout the world in the treatment of female reproductive
disorders such as endometriosis, fibroids, and ovarian hyperstimulation
syndrome.
Dr. Weisz has pioneering experience in the field of
reproductive biology and in vitro fertilization. As a postdoctoral
research fellow at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and
Research Institute, she performed cutting-edge work with human embryonic
stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood. In 1994, while doing
research at the Rambam Medical Center in the area of oocyte (egg)
activation, she was among the first in the world to perform intracytoplasmic
sperm injection (ICSI) on human eggs for clinical use, a technique
now in worldwide use.
Dr. Weisz has broad experience and expertise in the
management of an IVF laboratory. Her laboratory proficiency spans
the range of fertility services including sperm preparation and
evaluation, oocyte treatment from egg retrieval to insemination
to embryo transfer, blastocyst culture, and cryopreservation, as
well as sophisticated micromanipulative techniques such as ICSI,
assisted zona hatching, and preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).
Dr. Weisz is also an outstanding “people person” who
cares deeply and personally about each of our patients, and she
works as an integral member of the clinical team in providing our
patients with the best of care. The Fertility Institute is pleased
to welcome Dr. Weisz to our staff, and we are pleased to offer our
patients her scientific expertise.
Ask the Doctor
Q:
Which type of fertility medication is right for me?
A:
Many medications are currently available for fertility enhancement.
Some are available in oral forms, while others require daily self-injections.
Advanced techniques of assisted reproduction such as in vitro fertilization
(IVF) usually require the use of injectable medications. At the
Fertility Institute of NJ&NY, we believe in treating couples
as least aggressively as possible, and advancing to higher-tech
treatments such as IVF only when absolutely necessary. We will help
you find the optimal treatment and the best medication for your
individual situation.
Q:
My friend went through IVF last year, and she took different medications
from the ones I am taking. Why?
A:
When a couple is going through IVF, the woman needs to take certain
medications. The purpose of the medications is twofold: First, to
cause her ovaries to produce several eggs which can later be mixed
with her husband’s sperm, and second, to prevent her ovaries
from prematurely releasing, or ovulating, those eggs before we are
able to remove them to work on them in the laboratory. Various types
and combinations of medications can be used to achieve those goals,
and the Fertility Institute of NJ&NY individualizes the best
combination for you.
Q:
I heard the Fertility Institute is participating in a research study.
Can you tell me more about it?
A:
The Fertility Institute of NJ&NY is dedicated to advancing the
field of fertility medicine in order to provide our patients with
the best of care. The Institute and its physicians have been at
the forefront of medical discoveries for the past 25 years. Dr.
Zalman Levine is currently a principal investigator in a national
multicenter research study comparing two different types of medications
used in an IVF cycle. Both medications are safe and are already
approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in fertility
treatments, and the goal of the study is to determine which type
of medication is more effective. Patients at the Fertility Institute
of NJ&NY are offered the opportunity to be a part of this exciting
research if they wish. Feel free to discuss this option at your
appointment.
Did You Know?
Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a highly sophisticated
procedure in which a couple requests that their embryos be individually
tested for genetic abnormalities, and only embryos without these
abnormalities are replaced into the woman’s uterus. This technique
can be used to help a couple avoid transmitting a genetic disease
to their child, to improve the chances of a normal pregnancy for
women with repetitive miscarriages, or even to select the gender
of a child if medically necessary. The Fertility Institute of NJ&NY
is the only center in Bergen County offering PGD services on-site.
We’re Proud of Our Success
We continue to achieve success rates in our IVF program well
above the national average. Our pregnancy rates are between 40-60%
for women in all age groups through age 40, 36% from ages 41-42,
and 9% for ages 43-44. Our clinical and laboratory team work together
to treat you with a unique combination of both high-tech and highly
personalized care.
We’re Proud of Our Staff
Dr. Zalman Levine sat on the
Assisted Reproduction Ethics Committee of the Harvard Medical School
and was appointed in 2001 to the highly prestigious statewide Ethics
Committee of the Massachusetts Medical Society. He has received
numerous awards for his innovative research, teaching, and surgical
skill. He is currently Assistant Professor of Reproductive Endocrinology
and Infertility at the New York Medical College.
Dr. Daniel Navot was
the first fertility specialist in the world to establish an egg
donation program. He pioneered the first pregnancies in women without
ovaries, established the clomiphene challenge test for ovarian reserve
testing, and is considered a world expert on ovulation induction,
ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome, and embryo implantation. He is
currently Professor and Chief of Reproductive Endocrinology and
Infertility at the New York Medical College.
Our Mission
We are a world-class fertility center, providing the full
spectrum of advanced reproductive medicine and helping couples achieve
their dreams through highest-quality, personalized, professional,
and compassionate care.
Our Patients Speak
From JD, a Fertility Institute patient in 2003:
“Dear Dr. Navot, Dr. Levine, and Staff,
Thank you for all the encouragement, support, and advice you’ve
given me over the last few months. I very much appreciate the early
hours, the fact that you’re always there for me (7 days a
week!), and your collective dedication to the hopes and dreams of
others. I know how lucky I am to have had a wonderful pregnancy
and a terrific baby. Just being in your office is inspiring and
life affirming to me. I thank you for using your skills and expertise
to help me and others like me in our quest to create our families.
Best wishes always, JD
Upcoming Events
Assisted Reproduction and Judaism Public lecture, Riverdale
Infertility Support Group Monday, February 9, 2003, 8:00 PM Rabbi
Zalman Levine, M.D.
Assisted Reproductive Technologies: A Medical Overview
Invited guest lecture to medical staff
Holy Name Hospital: Wednesday, March 3, 2003, 12:00 PM
Pascack Valley Hospital: Wednesday, March 10, 2003, 8:00 AM
Zalman Levine, M.D.
Women of the Millenium
A Women’s Health Fair by Pascack Valley Hospital
Saturday, March 6, 2003
Participatory Staff from the Fertility Institute of NJ & NY
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss: A Modern Approach to a Difficult Problem
Invited guest lecture to medical staff, Nyack Hospital
Tuesday, March 16, 2003, 8:00 AM
Daniel Navot, M.D.
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