Review shows majority of procedures offered alongside standard IVF not backed by reliable evidence Most IVF “add-on” treatments sold to people hoping to boost their chances of having children are not backed by reliable evidence, fail to boost fertility and may be a complete waste of money, the largest study of its kind has concluded.There has been a surge in extra procedures, medicines or techniques offered to patients in addition to standard IVF with bold claims they will increase the probability of success. Take-up is widespread, with more than 70% of IVF patients in the UK, Australia and New Zealand paying for one or more add-on during IVF treatment.Acupuncture – inserting thin needles into points on the body.Corticosteroids – medication to reduce inflammation and suppress immune system activity.Endometrial receptivity testing – a biopsy of the uterine lining to assess gene expression patterns.Intralipid infusion – a liquid containing fats that is administered into the blood.Intraovarian injection of platelet-rich plasma – injecting platelet-rich plasma into the ovaries.Intrauterine infusion of platelet-rich plasma – insertion of platelet-rich plasma into the uterus.Pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy – a screening test to check whether embryos have the expected number of chromosomes.EmbryoGlue – an embryo transfer medium containing hyaluronic acid. The evidence review found it may increase the probability of pregnancy and live birth; however, the effect on live birthrates was not robust.Endometrial scratching – a minor procedure undertaken to scratch or disturb the lining of the uterus. The review found this may increase the probability of pregnancy and live birth.Physiological intracytoplasmic sperm injection (PICSI) – a technique used to select sperm based on their ability to bind to hyaluronic acid. There was weak evidence this may lower the risk of miscarriage. Continue reading...
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• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that Iran will not surrender to external threats. • The President reaffirmed Tehran's commitment to resolving international disputes through diplomatic channels.
Read original · profilenews.com• Approximately 50,000 people from over 100 countries gathered in Britain for the 60th convention of the nation's largest Muslim organization. • The event focused on calling world leaders to prioritize justice and peace over the strategic interests of powerful states to prevent a devastating global war.
Read original · manilatimes.net
The Manila Times• Iran has launched missile and drone attacks on the port city of Aqaba in Jordan, escalating regional tensions. • The conflict has disrupted global energy supplies, causing Brent crude oil prices to surge above $94 per barrel.
Read original · militarynews.com• UN partners have launched the Winter Response Plan to provide critical aid to 2.1 million people in Ukraine to help them survive the upcoming cold season amid the ongoing Russian invasion. • In the Democratic Republic of Congo, at least 30 people were killed and dozens injured during attacks in the Beni territory between July 13 and 19.
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UN News• Defense Secretary Hegseth testified that the U.S. war on Iran has reached a total cost of $37.5 billion. • In the Middle East, Houthi rebels warned shipping companies against using Saudi ports, while the Israeli military constructed a giant barrier to separate controlled portions of the Gaza Strip.
Read original · democracynow.orgExclusive: Elizabeth Warren says it is unclear how bank failed to uncover former CEO’s links with sex offenderThe leading US senator Elizabeth Warren has called for urgent answers from Barclays over what she claimed was its “apparent failure to meaningfully investigate” ties between the bank’s former boss, Jes Staley, and the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.In a letter sent privately to Barclays’s chair, Nigel Higgins, and seen by the Guardian, Warren – the most senior Democrat on the US senate banking committee – said it was “deeply unclear how Barclays, supposedly investigating Staley’s connection to Epstein, failed to uncover this decades-long relationship”. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comScientists believe sunfish-smashing behaviour could be form of entertainment or to help younger whales feedOrcas have been observed ramming into giant fish so hard that the prey explode, possibly as a form of gory entertainment.On several occasions, orcas were observed to hold sunfish in their jaws while a second whale smashed into the target at high speed, causing it to break into thousands of pieces. Since the fish had already been killed, scientists suggested the behaviour may represent a form of play. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comExclusive: Darren Rosheski won NHS payout over partner Helen Dutton’s death from rectal cancer after GP misjudged her symptoms“I remember the doctor, after he’d examined Helen and found a large lump in her colon, saying ‘it’s very sinister – we need to bring you in to be investigated.”Darren Rosheski is recalling the moment a consultant doctor at Tameside hospital broke the news to his partner, Helen Dutton, that her symptoms – which also included back pain, passing blood and altered bowel habits – were so worrying that they needed further tests. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comShooting happened on street in popular neighborhood lined with restaurants, bars, shops and homes A police officer in Madison, Wisconsin, shot and killed a man Wednesday in an incident that was captured on cellphone footage, sparking local protests.John Patterson, the Madison police chief, acknowledged the shooting at a news conference, but stressed footage circulating was just one perspective of what happened. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comPresident visits swing state to promote ‘Trump accounts’ and says high prices lingering from Joe Biden’s presidency Donald Trump scoffed at the word “affordability” as a political message, describing it at a campaign rally on Wednesday as a term concocted by Democratic political consultants to criticize his presidency. Yet even as the president dismissed the notion of affordability, he devoted much of his speech at Wheeler high school to touting the bread-and-butter benefits of his economic policies.“So I just want you to remember that if you’re paying a little bit more – a lot of it’s come down now, we got it coming down very rapidly actually,” Trump said in Marietta, an Atlanta suburb, casting higher prices today as a lingering effect of the Biden administration. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comMore than 70 attacks have been recorded over past year, including acts of violence, property damage and vandalismOne mosque is attacked in Britain every five days, according to new data released by the government’s partner for monitoring anti-Muslim hatred.More than 70 attacks on mosques in the UK have been recorded over the past year, which include acts of intimidation, violence, property damage, harassment, anti-Muslim hate speech, online abuse and vandalism. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.comUS military says it is degradimg Tehran’s ability to threaten ships in strait of Hormuz; Houthis say tankers violated their blockade; US signs nuclear deal with Saudi ArabiaWelcome to our live coverage of the continuing crisis in the Middle East.The US military announced on Thursday evening it had began a 12th consecutive night of strikes against Iranian military targets at the direction of Donald Trump. Continue reading...
Read original · theguardian.com