BELOW ZERO

Experts move closer to identifying best embryos

Scientists in Australia and Greece appear to be moving closer to identifying genes that determine which test-tube embryos stand the best chance of implanting in the womb and growing into healthy babies. There is currently no way of telling which embryos are likely to develop into successful pregnancies from those that fail to even attach themselves in the womb.

As such, couples often opt to have more than one embryo implanted to increase chances of pregnancy. But this can result in multiple pregnancies that can be dangerous to both the mother and the babies. Writing in the journal Human Reproduction, scientists in Australia said they may have obtained a better idea of the profile of embryos that stand a better chance of developing into healthy babies. “Now, embryos are chosen on the basis of appearance, shape and regularity,” wrote researchers from Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories. If the predictive value can be increased by just 20 per cent, it will be a massive bonus to encourage people to accepting (single) embryo transfer without a loss of pregnancy outcome.”

ZERO TO 20

Mother’s mental health tied to child’s development

Evaluating the emotional health and social connectedness of pregnant women may help determine if their children will need extra help to meet developmental goals later on. If children get this assistance early, there’s a good chance they will do just fine, said researchers from the University of Calgary in Alberta. Children were more likely to be at high risk for developmental problems if they were male, had ear infections, came from a low-income environment, or had a mother with poor mental health during the prenatal period and after the child was born. Problems typically included depression, a history of abuse and a poor level of contentment, said the report, published online in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.

... contd.