Melbourne IVF supports the investigation into the long term health effects of ICSI

Melbourne IVF welcomes and has in fact contributed to the research to be conducted by Professor Robert McLachlan, of the Hudson Institute of Medical Research, to investigate the long term health effects of ICSI and specifically the health of men born to fathers with poor sperm quality, as reported throughout the media today.

More than one in 20 men are helped today with a specific form of fertility treatment called ICSI (Intra cytoplasmic sperm injection) where embryologists select a single sperm, often from very low numbers of sperm from a male with infertility and inject it directly in to the egg to facilitate fertilisation.

As Prof McLachlan explains using ICSI to overcome male infertility means “You’re causing conception in a man who perhaps wouldn’t be able to do that naturally,” .

Now as the population of IVF conceived and specifically ICSI conceived children grows we can learn more about the long term health outcomes and assess the effect of the treatment. “We would expect to see a slightly higher incidence of male infertility in this group of patient’s children as the underlying male infertility issue may be passed on, however we are most interested to understand if there are any other health impacts,” said Dr Jim Tsaltas, Clinical Director Melbourne IVF.