On Wednesday, July 19th, 2006, a patient who underwent In Vitro Maturation (IVM) treatment at the Delaware Valley Institute of Fertility & Genetics (DVIF&G) in Marlton delivered a healthy baby boy. Both mother and child are in good health. Joseph Theodore is one of approximately 500 babies born worldwide through IVM and the first of several ongoing pregnancies with this new technology developed through START® (Success Through Assisted Reproductive Technologies) at DVIF&G.

Although several attempts were made in the past to achieve pregnancies through In Vitro Maturation (IVM) of oocytes (unfertilized egg cells), they were short-lived and abandoned for a failure to deliver consistent and reproducible results. During this procedure a minimal amount of injectable medication is given to stimulate the egg production by the patients ovary, and oocytes are retrieved when they are still immature. The retrieved oocytes then mature in the laboratory using a special culture solution. The matured oocyte is then fertilized with intracytoplasmic injection of the partner’s sperm (ICSI procedure), and the process continues as if the patient had a conventional In Vitro Fertilization - Embryo Transfer (IVF-ET) procedure.

Besides reducing the treatment time, exposure to medications, and cost to the patient, IVM is the treatment of choice for many patients that suffer from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Patients that suffer from PCOS are at risk to develop ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) when treated with gonadotropins (follicle-stimulating hormones) in preparation for IVF-ET. OHSS can lead to serious medical conditions requiring prolonged medical treatment, hospitalization, and surgical procedures.

The START® program at DVIF&G is one of only a handful of fertility practices worldwide that offers this treatment. For information concerning the IVM procedure, please contact DVIF&G at The 856-988-0072. DVIF&G has offices in Marlton, Vineland, and Lawrenceville.

George S. Taliadouros, M.D. has been practicing reproductive endocrinology and infertility in New Jersey for over 15 years and founded the Delaware Valley Institute of Fertility & Genetics (DVIF&G) in 1994. For more information on DVIF&G’s infertility services located at its office in Lawrenceville, please visit www.dvifg.com or call 609-895-0088.