Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to boost the success rate of in-vitro fertilization (IVF). According to a new report, there's already a new tech powered by AI to help aspiring moms who turned to IVF enjoy more chances of a successful pregnancy.
AI to Boost IVF Success Rate
Artificial intelligence technologies can now identify the most promising embryo and increase the likelihood of conception for those who use IVF to conceive.
The Tel Aviv-based company, AIVF, which developed the AI technology in Israel, claims that it is already in use in Europe, Asia, and South America and may "very soon" be in the US as well, Daily Mail reported.
The software works by identifying the most viable embryos. The AI will rate the embryos according to characteristics correlated to various outcomes, such as implantation or genetic problems, which are invisible to the naked eye. With this, IVF success rates have reportedly increased by 30% at clinics utilizing the algorithm.
One of the most important choices made during the IVF process, according to Dr. Daniella Gilboa, an embryologist, and co-founder of AIVF, is embryo selection. Human doctors have had to make that decision up until now.
Clinicians choose an embryo based on how it looks to judge its quality. Still, Dr. Gilboa stressed that this method depends on subjective human interpretation and doesn't accurately reflect the possibility of becoming pregnant.
The decision-making process aided by EMA, AVIF's AI-driven embryo evaluation program, tends to be more effective. The AI software analyzes vast amounts of data beyond what the human eye can see.
The AI has been trained to recognize hidden embryonic characteristics associated with various outcomes, such as genetic anomalies, implantation, or gender. Each embryo receives a numerical score from the algorithm, and the doctor has the final say.
Additionally, because AI is considerably faster than humans and can examine embryos much more quickly, doctors can see more patients and keep up with demand.
ALSO READ : Babies Born With Tails Need Greater Medical Attention; Case Is Not a Harmless Vestigial Trait
Success Rates in IVF
In vitro fertilization, or IVF involves taking an egg out of a woman's ovaries and fertilizing it in a lab with male sperm. A doctor implants the fertilized egg in the woman's uterus if it shows indications of developing into an embryo, which should lead to a pregnancy.
However, the method is expensive-costing an average of more than $12,000 per session-uncertain, and women sometimes need more than one attempt due to success rates that hover around 24% across all age categories.
IVF success rates likewise follow a similar pattern, as fertility rates tend to diminish with age, per Elite IVF.
The outlet, citing the Society for Reproductive Technology (SART), claims that 55.6% of live births from IVF occur in women under 35. Meanwhile, the success % of the first embryo transfers resulting in live births is 41.4%.
The success rate of IVF for women over 40 is roughly 7%, with women under 42 having a greater success rate than women over the same age.
Many women have been able to have successful pregnancies after 40 thanks to IVF. However, fertility substantially decreases by around 40.
RELATED ARTICLE: Rate of Premature Babies Falls by 90% During Lockdowns Could Be Due to Reduced Stress and Declining Air Pollution
Check out more news and information on IVF in Science Times.
