Little Evidence to Show Benefits of Add-On Fertility Treatments

March 22, 2017

(Medscape) – Over 4.4 million in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments were performed worldwide from 2008 to 2010, and over 1.1 million children were born as result, according to the latest International Committee for Monitoring Assisted Reproductive Technologies report. In those cycles, the overall pregnancy rate was low, around 25%, with delivery rates just below 20% per retrieval. Not surprisingly, there has been a constant search for “add-on” treatments to improve outcomes. These interventions are often introduced without adequate supportive data as both patients and providers feel that they have no time to wait for the results of properly designed trials. This opinion paper evaluated the evidence behind some of these technologies.