CHICAGO (Reuter) - A new test tube fertilization technique in which the sperm is injected directly into the egg appears to be safe and allows the use of sperm from men who would otherwise be considered infertile, researchers said Tuesday.
The technique, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection, is considered a breakthrough in assisted reproduction technology, according to the report from New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association.
The procedure results in a higher fertility success rate than with standard techniques in which the egg is removed from a woman's body and fertilized in a laboratory when exposed to sperm, but the injection method is also more invasive.
The report said that in the largest series of such fertilizations done so far in the United States there was no difference in miscarriages or pregnancy terminations between the new technique and the older one.
``Recent evidence demonstrates that the evolution of pregnancies and the occurrence of congenital malformation following treatment by (the new technique) are similar to the outcomes with other assisted reproduction procedures,'' the study said.
Article from Mercury Online service, 08:55 PM ET 12/17/96
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