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Questionable role of new techniques in IVF embryo culture
Uninterrupted embryo culture and time-lapse monitoring are increasingly offered to people undergoing IVF — but a randomized study fails to show any benefit over routine embryo-selection methods.
Embryos grown for in vitro fertilization (IVF) undergo various assessments — which generally take place outside the culture incubator — to optimize selection for transfer. Increasingly, IVF laboratories offer time-lapse monitoring, to avoid disrupting culture conditions and enable continuous assessment. However, these procedures are often provided at additional cost to would-be parents, despite a lack of evidence showing they result in clinical benefit.