Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-07-12DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105152
Mar Falquet Guillem , Rosa Pacheco , Alma Gisbert-Iranzo , Marina Cano-Extremera , María Gil Juliá , Ana Navarro-Gomezlechon , Irene Hervas , Nicolás Garrido
Medically assisted reproduction (MAR) relies on semen quality for success. While conventional sperm selection techniques such as density gradient centrifugation and swim-up are commonly used, they overlook essential molecular sperm characteristics, limiting their effectiveness in predicting the success of MAR. To address this, advanced selection techniques have been developed, including magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS). This meta-analysis evaluates the effect of MACS compared with conventional sperm selection techniques on MAR reproductive outcomes, seminal parameters, and sperm DNA fragmentation (DNAf) levels. Systematic searches in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus identified 41 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Results indicate that while MACS reduces sperm DNAf significantly (mean difference = -4.32, 95% CI -6.29 to -2.36; P < 0.0001), it does not significantly improve clinical pregnancy (OR = 1.47, 95% CI 0.94–2.30, P = 0.09), spontaneous miscarriage (OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.40–2.12; P = 0.85) or live birth (OR = 1.55, 95% CI 0.78–3.11; P = 0.21) rates in artificial insemination cycles. However, in intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles, MACS demonstrates significant improvements in implantation rate per transferred embryo (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.02–1.62; P = 0.04), clinical pregnancy (OR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.19–1.66; P < 0.00001) and live birth (OR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.09–1.58; P = 0.004) rates per embryo transfer, particularly in patients with high DNAf levels. Despite variability in other clinical parameters and study limitations such as data heterogeneity, the study results suggest a potential benefit of MACS in a specific subgroup of infertile patients, underscoring the need for personalized evaluation and further research to refine its clinical indications.
{"title":"Magnetic-activated cell sorting non-apoptotic sperm selection improves DNA fragmentation and reproductive outcomes: systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Mar Falquet Guillem , Rosa Pacheco , Alma Gisbert-Iranzo , Marina Cano-Extremera , María Gil Juliá , Ana Navarro-Gomezlechon , Irene Hervas , Nicolás Garrido","doi":"10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105152","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105152","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Medically assisted reproduction (MAR) relies on semen quality for success. While conventional sperm selection techniques such as density gradient centrifugation and swim-up are commonly used, they overlook essential molecular sperm characteristics, limiting their effectiveness in predicting the success of MAR. To address this, advanced selection techniques have been developed, including magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS). This meta-analysis evaluates the effect of MACS compared with conventional sperm selection techniques on MAR reproductive outcomes, seminal parameters, and sperm DNA fragmentation (DNAf) levels. Systematic searches in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus identified 41 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Results indicate that while MACS reduces sperm DNAf significantly (mean difference = -4.32, 95% CI -6.29 to -2.36; <em>P</em> < 0.0001), it does not significantly improve clinical pregnancy (OR = 1.47, 95% CI 0.94–2.30, <em>P</em> = 0.09), spontaneous miscarriage (OR = 0.92, 95% CI 0.40–2.12; <em>P</em> = 0.85) or live birth (OR = 1.55, 95% CI 0.78–3.11; <em>P</em> = 0.21) rates in artificial insemination cycles. However, in intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles, MACS demonstrates significant improvements in implantation rate per transferred embryo (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 1.02–1.62; <em>P</em> = 0.04), clinical pregnancy (OR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.19–1.66; <em>P</em> < 0.00001) and live birth (OR = 1.31, 95% CI 1.09–1.58; <em>P</em> = 0.004) rates per embryo transfer, particularly in patients with high DNAf levels. Despite variability in other clinical parameters and study limitations such as data heterogeneity, the study results suggest a potential benefit of MACS in a specific subgroup of infertile patients, underscoring the need for personalized evaluation and further research to refine its clinical indications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21134,"journal":{"name":"Reproductive biomedicine online","volume":"52 1","pages":"Article 105152"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145775346","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-08-08DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105210
Laura Marqueta , Barbara Lawrenz , Erkan Kalafat , Raquel Del Gallego , Francisco Ruiz , Laura Melado , Ibrahim El Khatib , Human Fatemi
Research question
Does systemic LH concentration influence live birth rate (LBR) in programmed single euploid frozen embryo transfer (seFET) cycles?
Design
Retrospective cohort study including 758 programmed seFET cycles between January 2018 and September 2023, prepared with oral oestradiol and vaginal progesterone. Serum oestradiol, progesterone and LH were measured at the start of preparation and up to 3 days before initiation of vaginal progesterone. Patients were stratified in percentile groups according to LH concentration before oestradiol and vaginal progesterone administration. The impacts of LH concentration and its slope on LBR were assessed.
Results
Pregnancy rate, pregnancy loss rate and LBR were 66.7%, 18.0% and 48.7%, respectively. Outcome groups were comparable in terms of female age at retrieval and transfer, anti-Müllerian hormone, male age, luteal phase support, and hormone concentrations before initiation of oestradiol and vaginal progesterone. No significant differences in LBR were seen between LH percentile groups. No significant trend was seen when categorizing the increase in LH concentration as small, moderate or substantial. Multi-nomial regression analysis showed that poorer embryo quality (inner cell mass grade C versus A; P = 0.005), biopsy on day 6/7 versus day 5 (P = 0.01), and higher body mass index (P = 0.031) were more likely to result in a negative pregnancy test than a live birth. Neither oestradiol nor LH concentrations prior to vaginal progesterone administration, nor their increase, were significantly associated with outcomes.
Conclusions
Systemic LH concentration before vaginal progesterone administration does not influence LBR in programmed seFET cycles.
{"title":"Does systemic LH concentration influence live birth rate in programmed single euploid frozen embryo transfer cycles?","authors":"Laura Marqueta , Barbara Lawrenz , Erkan Kalafat , Raquel Del Gallego , Francisco Ruiz , Laura Melado , Ibrahim El Khatib , Human Fatemi","doi":"10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105210","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105210","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Research question</h3><div>Does systemic LH concentration influence live birth rate (LBR) in programmed single euploid frozen embryo transfer (seFET) cycles?</div></div><div><h3>Design</h3><div>Retrospective cohort study including 758 programmed seFET cycles between January 2018 and September 2023, prepared with oral oestradiol and vaginal progesterone. Serum oestradiol, progesterone and LH were measured at the start of preparation and up to 3 days before initiation of vaginal progesterone. Patients were stratified in percentile groups according to LH concentration before oestradiol and vaginal progesterone administration. The impacts of LH concentration and its slope on LBR were assessed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Pregnancy rate, pregnancy loss rate and LBR were 66.7%, 18.0% and 48.7%, respectively. Outcome groups were comparable in terms of female age at retrieval and transfer, anti-Müllerian hormone, male age, luteal phase support, and hormone concentrations before initiation of oestradiol and vaginal progesterone. No significant differences in LBR were seen between LH percentile groups. No significant trend was seen when categorizing the increase in LH concentration as small, moderate or substantial. Multi-nomial regression analysis showed that poorer embryo quality (inner cell mass grade C versus A; <em>P</em> = 0.005), biopsy on day 6/7 versus day 5 (<em>P</em> = 0.01), and higher body mass index (<em>P</em> = 0.031) were more likely to result in a negative pregnancy test than a live birth. Neither oestradiol nor LH concentrations prior to vaginal progesterone administration, nor their increase, were significantly associated with outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Systemic LH concentration before vaginal progesterone administration does not influence LBR in programmed seFET cycles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21134,"journal":{"name":"Reproductive biomedicine online","volume":"52 1","pages":"Article 105210"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145701806","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-08-16DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105212
Neda Farzizadeh , Zahra Najmi , Alan J. Rosenbaum , Arezoo Khosravi , Amirali Hariri , Mona Aminbeidokhti , Ali Zarrabi
Endometriosis poses significant challenges for women of reproductive age, particularly due to its impact on ovarian reserve and fertility. In addition to endometriosis-associated infertility contributing to diminished ovarian reserve by inflammation and oxidative stress, surgical interventions, often required to manage endometriosis, can exacerbate ovarian damage, further complicating fertility preservation. This narrative review critically examines the interplay between endometriosis treatment and fertility preservation strategies, offering insights into current surgical risks and emerging approaches to mitigate their impact on reproductive potential. Furthermore, it explores traditional fertility preservation methods, including oocyte, embryo and ovarian tissue cryopreservation, alongside advances in vitrification techniques that enhance success rates. Innovative minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as carbon dioxide laser vaporization, plasma energy ablation, haemostatic sealants, and robotic-assisted laparoscopy, are evaluated for their ability to preserve ovarian tissue. Moreover, emerging trends, including the use of artificial intelligence for personalized treatment planning and bioengineering innovations, such as three-dimensional-printed ovarian scaffolds, are discussed as transformative solutions for restoring fertility. A multi-disciplinary, patient-centred approach is emphasized, integrating expertise from gynaecology, reproductive endocrinology, and bioengineering to optimize fertility preservation outcomes. By bridging technological advances and clinical practice, this review aims to provide a framework for preserving fertility while addressing the complex challenges of endometriosis.
{"title":"Fertility preservation in endometriosis: evaluating surgical risks and emerging preservation approaches","authors":"Neda Farzizadeh , Zahra Najmi , Alan J. Rosenbaum , Arezoo Khosravi , Amirali Hariri , Mona Aminbeidokhti , Ali Zarrabi","doi":"10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105212","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105212","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Endometriosis poses significant challenges for women of reproductive age, particularly due to its impact on ovarian reserve and fertility. In addition to endometriosis-associated infertility contributing to diminished ovarian reserve by inflammation and oxidative stress, surgical interventions, often required to manage endometriosis, can exacerbate ovarian damage, further complicating fertility preservation. This narrative review critically examines the interplay between endometriosis treatment and fertility preservation strategies, offering insights into current surgical risks and emerging approaches to mitigate their impact on reproductive potential. Furthermore, it explores traditional fertility preservation methods, including oocyte, embryo and ovarian tissue cryopreservation, alongside advances in vitrification techniques that enhance success rates. Innovative minimally invasive surgical techniques, such as carbon dioxide laser vaporization, plasma energy ablation, haemostatic sealants, and robotic-assisted laparoscopy, are evaluated for their ability to preserve ovarian tissue. Moreover, emerging trends, including the use of artificial intelligence for personalized treatment planning and bioengineering innovations, such as three-dimensional-printed ovarian scaffolds, are discussed as transformative solutions for restoring fertility. A multi-disciplinary, patient-centred approach is emphasized, integrating expertise from gynaecology, reproductive endocrinology, and bioengineering to optimize fertility preservation outcomes. By bridging technological advances and clinical practice, this review aims to provide a framework for preserving fertility while addressing the complex challenges of endometriosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21134,"journal":{"name":"Reproductive biomedicine online","volume":"52 1","pages":"Article 105212"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145605317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-08-11DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105208
Balsam Al Hashimi , Katie E Harvey , Simon C Harvey , Elena Linara-Demakakou , Darren K Griffin , Kamal Ahuja , Nick Macklon
Research question
Does preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) and the transfer of euploid poor-quality blastocysts (PQB) reduce the number of transfers needed to achieve live births compared with the transfer of their untested counterparts?
Design
Single-centre retrospective cohort study conducted between 2015 and 2024 (PGT-A blastocysts: n = 7332 from 2258 cycles; n = 1344). Transfer outcomes were analysed for a subset of 74 cycles involving tested PQB and compared with 192 cycles involving untested PQB during the same period.
Results
High-quality blastocysts (AA, AB, BA and BB) were most likely to be euploid (P < 2.2e-16), whereas PQB (CC, DC, CD and DD) were more likely to be aneuploid (P < 2.2e-16). Embryos that reached the blastocyst stage by day 5 had a higher likelihood of being euploid. Among transferred PQB, PGT-A did not significantly affect the pregnancy rate (33.3% versus 23.4%); however, the miscarriage rate was significantly lower in the PGT-A-tested group (13.6% versus 51.2%, P = 0.003). The number of live births was higher in the PGT-A group (26.4 % versus 11.1%, P = 0.004) and with the transfer of day-5 frozen blastocysts. Live births were observed from blastocysts with the poorest expansion and morphology scores. No significant differences were observed in gestational age or birth weight between the PGT-A and untested groups.
Conclusions
A clinically relevant proportion of PQB are euploid, PQB can result in live births and euploid transfer is associated with lower miscarriage rates. In combination, this suggests that PQB should not be routinely discarded, particularly if they are prior-tested using PGT-A.
{"title":"Preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy ‘rescues’ poor-quality blastocysts and increases embryo availability for transfer: a 9-year single centre analysis","authors":"Balsam Al Hashimi , Katie E Harvey , Simon C Harvey , Elena Linara-Demakakou , Darren K Griffin , Kamal Ahuja , Nick Macklon","doi":"10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105208","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105208","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Research question</h3><div>Does preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) and the transfer of euploid poor-quality blastocysts (PQB) reduce the number of transfers needed to achieve live births compared with the transfer of their untested counterparts?</div></div><div><h3>Design</h3><div>Single-centre retrospective cohort study conducted between 2015 and 2024 (PGT-A blastocysts: <em>n</em> = 7332 from 2258 cycles; <em>n</em> = 1344). Transfer outcomes were analysed for a subset of 74 cycles involving tested PQB and compared with 192 cycles involving untested PQB during the same period.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>High-quality blastocysts (AA, AB, BA and BB) were most likely to be euploid (<em>P</em> < 2.2e-16), whereas PQB (CC, DC, CD and DD) were more likely to be aneuploid (<em>P</em> < 2.2e-16). Embryos that reached the blastocyst stage by day 5 had a higher likelihood of being euploid. Among transferred PQB, PGT-A did not significantly affect the pregnancy rate (33.3% versus 23.4%); however, the miscarriage rate was significantly lower in the PGT-A-tested group (13.6% versus 51.2%, <em>P</em> = 0.003). The number of live births was higher in the PGT-A group (26.4 % versus 11.1%, <em>P</em> = 0.004) and with the transfer of day-5 frozen blastocysts. Live births were observed from blastocysts with the poorest expansion and morphology scores. No significant differences were observed in gestational age or birth weight between the PGT-A and untested groups.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>A clinically relevant proportion of PQB are euploid, PQB can result in live births and euploid transfer is associated with lower miscarriage rates. In combination, this suggests that PQB should not be routinely discarded, particularly if they are prior-tested using PGT-A.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21134,"journal":{"name":"Reproductive biomedicine online","volume":"52 1","pages":"Article 105208"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145820490","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/S1472-6483(25)00654-6
{"title":"Inside Front Cover - Affiliations and First page of TOC","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S1472-6483(25)00654-6","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S1472-6483(25)00654-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":21134,"journal":{"name":"Reproductive biomedicine online","volume":"52 1","pages":"Article 105447"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146037262","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This commentary delineates the developmental pathway of artificial intelligence (AI) in ultrasound follicular monitoring, highlighting a paradigm shift from automated segmentation to clinical decision support. The deep learning-based CR-Unet and C-Rend models have enabled accurate follicle segmentation and measurement from two-dimensional to three-dimensional imaging, substantially improving boundary segmentation accuracy and measurement consistency. Building on this foundation, the study further establishes two-dimensional follicle area and three-dimensional follicle volume as novel biomarkers, providing quantitative criteria for predicting oocyte maturity and optimizing the timing of human chorionic gonadotrophin triggering. Through seamless integration of algorithms into the Acclarix LXK9 ultrasonography equipment, an intelligent monitoring platform with real-time analytical capabilities has been developed, demonstrating significantly superior measurement accuracy and consistency compared with manual operations. These advancements represent a transformative leap from image segmentation to AI-driven clinical decision making, offering robust technical support for standardized and precise management in assisted reproduction.
{"title":"AI-driven paradigm shift in follicle ultrasound monitoring: from automated segmentation to clinical decision support.","authors":"Chenke Kuang, Zichao Liu, Yiyang Huang, Yaocheng Xiao, Meng Du, Zhiyi Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105440","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105440","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This commentary delineates the developmental pathway of artificial intelligence (AI) in ultrasound follicular monitoring, highlighting a paradigm shift from automated segmentation to clinical decision support. The deep learning-based CR-Unet and C-Rend models have enabled accurate follicle segmentation and measurement from two-dimensional to three-dimensional imaging, substantially improving boundary segmentation accuracy and measurement consistency. Building on this foundation, the study further establishes two-dimensional follicle area and three-dimensional follicle volume as novel biomarkers, providing quantitative criteria for predicting oocyte maturity and optimizing the timing of human chorionic gonadotrophin triggering. Through seamless integration of algorithms into the Acclarix LXK9 ultrasonography equipment, an intelligent monitoring platform with real-time analytical capabilities has been developed, demonstrating significantly superior measurement accuracy and consistency compared with manual operations. These advancements represent a transformative leap from image segmentation to AI-driven clinical decision making, offering robust technical support for standardized and precise management in assisted reproduction.</p>","PeriodicalId":21134,"journal":{"name":"Reproductive biomedicine online","volume":" ","pages":"105440"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147459570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-19DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105434
Johan Sterckx, Ileana Mateizel, Michelle Soares, Miranda Verdoodt, Johan Guns, Neelke De Munck
Research question: Should we discard embryos exposed to culture media contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis?
Design: This case report describes an IVF cycle in which the embryo culture medium was contaminated with E. faecalis originating from the sperm sample. The collection and microbiological analysis of the contaminated culture media, as well as the embryological, clinical and neonatal outcomes, are presented.
Results: A couple, both aged 23 years, presented at Brussels IVF in 2023 for a second assisted reproductive technology attempt. Following oocyte retrieval, 14 oocytes underwent conventional IVF in culture media containing 10 µg/ml gentamicin sulphate, yielding 10 fertilized oocytes, and one blastocyst was vitrified on day 5. Contamination with amoxicillin-sensitive E. faecalis was detected on day 6 (after automated aerobic and anaerobic culture; BD Bactec). A sperm culture was performed 11 days later and tested positive for E. faecalis. After obtaining the patient's informed consent, the only vitrified embryo was transferred in a natural cycle. Prophylactic amoxicillin (three times a day for 5 days) was administered to the patient following transfer. Culture medium analysis post-warming (2.5 h culture) still detected E. faecalis, suggesting persistent contamination. A healthy female infant (2845 g) was born at 40 weeks of gestation. All culture media used contained 10µg/mL gentamicin sulphate.
Conclusions: Treatment with prophylactic amoxicillin resulted in a healthy live birth from a blastocyst contaminated with E. faecalis, questioning the systematic discarding of embryos from contaminated culture medium.
{"title":"Microbial contamination of ART culture media with Enterococcus faecalis: case report of a live birth following blastocyst transfer.","authors":"Johan Sterckx, Ileana Mateizel, Michelle Soares, Miranda Verdoodt, Johan Guns, Neelke De Munck","doi":"10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105434","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105434","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Research question: </strong>Should we discard embryos exposed to culture media contaminated with Enterococcus faecalis?</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>This case report describes an IVF cycle in which the embryo culture medium was contaminated with E. faecalis originating from the sperm sample. The collection and microbiological analysis of the contaminated culture media, as well as the embryological, clinical and neonatal outcomes, are presented.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A couple, both aged 23 years, presented at Brussels IVF in 2023 for a second assisted reproductive technology attempt. Following oocyte retrieval, 14 oocytes underwent conventional IVF in culture media containing 10 µg/ml gentamicin sulphate, yielding 10 fertilized oocytes, and one blastocyst was vitrified on day 5. Contamination with amoxicillin-sensitive E. faecalis was detected on day 6 (after automated aerobic and anaerobic culture; BD Bactec). A sperm culture was performed 11 days later and tested positive for E. faecalis. After obtaining the patient's informed consent, the only vitrified embryo was transferred in a natural cycle. Prophylactic amoxicillin (three times a day for 5 days) was administered to the patient following transfer. Culture medium analysis post-warming (2.5 h culture) still detected E. faecalis, suggesting persistent contamination. A healthy female infant (2845 g) was born at 40 weeks of gestation. All culture media used contained 10µg/mL gentamicin sulphate.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Treatment with prophylactic amoxicillin resulted in a healthy live birth from a blastocyst contaminated with E. faecalis, questioning the systematic discarding of embryos from contaminated culture medium.</p>","PeriodicalId":21134,"journal":{"name":"Reproductive biomedicine online","volume":"52 5","pages":"105434"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147481333","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-15DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105433
Gillian E Jacobsen, Meghana Chapalamadugu, Kara A Lindsay, Emma R Sass, Ana Carolina G Sale, Maya P Patel, Alexandra Maters, Cecilia M Amaro, Jeimy Alfonso Rodriguez, Suset Rodriguez, Pasquale Patrizio
Research question: Can the analysis of TikTok posts related to fertility and assisted reproduction technology better characterize the types of information shared, potential biases, and relative engagement?
Design: Using a new TikTok account posing as a woman of reproductive age in September 2024, posts were gathered using fertility- and infertility-related search terms. Descriptive post statistics were extracted, and reviewers coded each post for perceived patient demographics, creator type, post content, type of fertility treatments mentioned, and emotional tone.
Results: In total, 1905 TikTok posts were reviewed, amounting to 1,808,310,047 cumulative views and 117,087,911 cumulative likes. The majority of content creators were patients with fertility challenges (66.82%), followed by physicians (12.39%). Personal posts related to experience were most common (61.36%), followed by educational posts (28.45%). The most popular search terms in terms of both views and likes were 'infertility', 'fertility' and 'IVF' (P < 0.0001). Posts deemed to have a positive emotional tone received significantly more likes than neutral posts (P < 0.05), despite having fewer overall views. While most posts were created by patients with a light skin tone (52.36%), these posts did not differ in emotional tone or receive more engagement.
Conclusion: TikTok content about personal infertility experiences is more prevalent than content created by healthcare professionals, and broad terms such as 'infertility' and positive patient stories attract significantly more engagement than medical terminology or neutral information. It is suggested that physicians should use this information to better engage viewers on social media in order to provide balanced content and combat the spread of misinformation.
{"title":"A quantitative analysis of TikTok content on fertility and assisted reproductive technology.","authors":"Gillian E Jacobsen, Meghana Chapalamadugu, Kara A Lindsay, Emma R Sass, Ana Carolina G Sale, Maya P Patel, Alexandra Maters, Cecilia M Amaro, Jeimy Alfonso Rodriguez, Suset Rodriguez, Pasquale Patrizio","doi":"10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105433","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2025.105433","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Research question: </strong>Can the analysis of TikTok posts related to fertility and assisted reproduction technology better characterize the types of information shared, potential biases, and relative engagement?</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Using a new TikTok account posing as a woman of reproductive age in September 2024, posts were gathered using fertility- and infertility-related search terms. Descriptive post statistics were extracted, and reviewers coded each post for perceived patient demographics, creator type, post content, type of fertility treatments mentioned, and emotional tone.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, 1905 TikTok posts were reviewed, amounting to 1,808,310,047 cumulative views and 117,087,911 cumulative likes. The majority of content creators were patients with fertility challenges (66.82%), followed by physicians (12.39%). Personal posts related to experience were most common (61.36%), followed by educational posts (28.45%). The most popular search terms in terms of both views and likes were 'infertility', 'fertility' and 'IVF' (P < 0.0001). Posts deemed to have a positive emotional tone received significantly more likes than neutral posts (P < 0.05), despite having fewer overall views. While most posts were created by patients with a light skin tone (52.36%), these posts did not differ in emotional tone or receive more engagement.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>TikTok content about personal infertility experiences is more prevalent than content created by healthcare professionals, and broad terms such as 'infertility' and positive patient stories attract significantly more engagement than medical terminology or neutral information. It is suggested that physicians should use this information to better engage viewers on social media in order to provide balanced content and combat the spread of misinformation.</p>","PeriodicalId":21134,"journal":{"name":"Reproductive biomedicine online","volume":"52 5","pages":"105433"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147499926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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