Today’s blog post – talking about the Augment Treatment – is the second installment in a series I am working on to explore new technologies and options that are available to families dealing with infertility.
Egg quality is a very common issue for couples who are trying to get pregnant using invitro fertilization. I have a friend who was able to create more than enough eggs during her IVF retrievals only to learn that poor egg quality was severely limiting their chances of a pregnancy. Eventually she was successful with IVF (pure joy!) and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. But it took multiple IVF cycles, experimental drug therapies and $50,000 to create their family, not to mention a world of hurt and heartbreak along the way.
Couples who cannot get pregnant because of egg quality or ovarian reserve issues will face a difficult decision to either use donor eggs or go through adoption to have their families.
That’s why I was so intrigued to learn about the Augment Treatment by OvaScience – a next generation approach to treating infertility focusing on improving egg health and enhancing IVF outcomes. The technology is based on the findings of Dr. Jonathan Tilly who was the first to discover that an adult woman’s ovary contains precursor cells. He went on to co-found OvaScience in 2011 – a company that focuses on the discovery, development, and commercialization of new treatments for infertility.
The first baby conceived with the assistance of the Augment Treatment was born in Canada in 2015.
How does the Augment Treatment make a difference for families undergoing IVF?
IVF is the standard of care for many couples facing infertility. When IVF is not successful, couples have a difficult decision ahead them: 1) attempting another expensive IVF cycle; 2) giving up on having a family; 3) using a donor egg; or 4) adoption. OvaScience is working to improve IVF success rates with the introduction of egg precursor based treatments.
What is the cause of egg quality issues in women which may ultimately affect theirs chances getting pregnant?
Compromised egg health is very common. It happens naturally as we age, but it is important to know that young women can have poor egg health due to inherited reproductive disorders, environmental factors or other medical conditions such as endometriosis or PCOS.
What is the Augment Treatment?
According to OvaScience, Augment uses the energy-producing mitochondria
from your own egg precursor cells, which are immature egg cells found in the protective lining of your ovaries, to supplement the existing mitochondria in your eggs. This process is designed to boost your eggs’ energy levels for embryo development. Augment has the potential to improve egg health and embryo development which are factors that contribute to IVF success.
Is the Augment Treatment available at my fertility clinic? There are currently a handful of clinics in Canada and additional locations internationally that currently offer this treatment. Augment has not been approved for use in the United States.
Is there an additional cost for using Augment?
There is an additional cost for Augment. Talk to your fertility clinic about their fee schedule.
How do I find out more about The Augment Treatment?
Visit the website to learn more.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by OvaScience and was chosen as it was a fit for my blog and personal history. All opinions are my own.
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