London: Many women could soon be spared
the heartache of miscarriage, say scientists who claim to have
found evidence that a soya-based fertility treatment can boost
pregnancy up to sixfold.
A new study has found that the experimental fertility
treatment not only raises the chance of pregnancy but can also
inhibit chemicals which cause miscarriages.
In the experiment, the British scientists found that
when women who`d gone through IVF time and time again without
success were given a soya-based substance, half got pregnant.
In contrast, fewer than one in 10 of those who`d conventional
fertility treatment alone conceived,the `Daily Mail` reported.
The scientists behind the remarkable study believe
the Intralipid liquid, a fat and calorie-rich potion normally
used when tube-feeding very sick patients, could help many
more women achieve their dream of motherhood.
Improving success rates would spare women the
emotional and financial pain of going through repeated IVF
treatments, only for them to fail. The liquid also stems the
production by the body of harmful chemicals which can lead to
miscarriage, say the scientists.
At around 200 pounds per woman, Intralipid, which is
given through a drip around a week before a woman has IVF, is
much cheaper. It is also more effective at stemming production
of the harmful chemicals, say the scientists.
George Ndukwe, of Care fertility clinic in Nottingham,
said: "This infusion is inexpensive, well tolerated and easy
to administer. We`re devoting our attention to finding answers
when nature goes wrong."
The fertility expert ran his trial on a group of women
who had failed to become pregnant despite enduring an average
of six IVF attempts each. One woman had tried and failed at
IVF 12 times. Half of those treated became pregnant, compared
with just 9 per cent of those not given the fatty substance.
Other doctors are trying to use steroids to lower
levels of natural killer cells in the body
Professor Siobhan Quenby of Solihull Hospital and
Warwick University, has already successfully used an asthma
drug to curb the immune system response in a pilot trial of
women who had suffered repeated miscarriages.
PTI
