More than 15,000 children born every year in Spain thanks to techniques of reproduction assisted despite the crisis

-lifestyle marked by stress influences negatively the fertility of men and women

-the low quality of sperm in men and blockage of the fallopian tubes or the polycystic ovary in women are the most common problems for resorting to assisted reproduction techniques

Madrid, November of 2012- fertility treatments have maintained their demand despite the crisis. Although the economic situation has slowed the growing trend of previous years, the number of sessions applied to patients in this period has remained steady, according to cases attended at Sanitas hospital assisted reproduction unit.

According to Dr. Enriqueta Garijo, head of service of the Unit assisted reproduction in Alcobendas Center doctor Milenium Sanitas, more than 15,000 children born in Spain thanks to assisted reproduction techniques, of which about 7,000 have been by fertilization in vitro using own oocyte; more than 1,500 with own thawed embryos; around 3,200 with oocyte donation; nearly 1,000 with thawing of donated oocytes and more than 2,400 through insemination techniques ”.

The crisis has contributed to high levels of stress, one of the main factors that negatively influences when it comes to having a child, along with other habits such as poor diet or lack of sleep, frequent in the pace of modern life. These factors influence different organic processes, among them the fertile capacity. If one adds to this the delayed age to conceive, that now tends towards the 38 years on average for a first pregnancy, the number of people who have fertility problems is growing ”, explains Dr. Garijo.

Most common treatments and problems

Common problems by those who resort to these treatments are associated with, in the case of men, the low quality of the sperm. In the case of women, the most frequent causes are endometriosis; obstruction of the fallopian tubes; syndrome PCOS or thyroid disorders. The patient profile tends to be that of a heterosexual couple aged 35 to 39 years.

To solve these and other problems of fertility, there are variety of custom as artificial insemination or fertilization in vitro treatments that can be obtained through two different procedures: conventional in vitro fertilization in which the egg and sperm come together spontaneously in the laboratory or with sperm microinjectionin which fertilization is done by injecting a sperm into each egg.

The application of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, a method especially aimed for the genetic study of embryos prior to implantation in the uterus is also frequent ”, explains Dr. Garijo.

In the unit of assisted reproduction of Sanitas hospital also conducted technical of fertility preservation for patients who wish to postpone motherhood or that, for diseases like cancer, they are forced to delay pregnancy, as well as all traditional surgery or laparoscopic.

More than half of women who undergo a cycle of in vitro fertilization currently achieves expected gestation, although success rates are significantly elevated in women under 30 years of age. Prevention can facilitate and even avoid treatment. Therefore it is very important to educate couples your fertility checked periodically and not be so late with these problems ” highlights Dr. Garijo.