Embryo development in women with PCOS vs controls
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Does embryo development differ between women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and a control group?
IRAS ID
263812
Contact name
Geraldine Hartshorne
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 8 days
Research summary
Does early embryo development differ between women with PCOS and control group of non-PCOS women?
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of infertility amongst women seeking fertility treatment. It is therefore crucial that we understand how this condition affects embryo development so that women with PCOS can be provided with accurate information regarding their chances of success with in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. PCOS is a complex condition and has been associated with a number of symptoms including excess hair growth and acne. In addition to these, women with PCOS tend to have higher body mass indices (BMIs). Previous studies have shown that embryos from women with high BMI typically develop more slowly in the early stages of development when compared to embryos from women with normal BMIs. Our study therefore aims firstly to compare embryo development between women with and without PCOS. The women in both groups will then be categorised based on their BMI which will allow us to address the second aim of the study which is to determine whether slow embryo development is due to high BMI per se or whether it is due to having PCOS. We will do this by studying developmental milestones of embryos cultured in an Embryoscope® incubator. This incubator provides images of the developing embryos every 10 minutes for the entire time that they are developing in the laboratory. We will compare the times at which certain developmental stages occur. We will include all women attending the Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Coventry from January 2017 who have a diagnosis of PCOS and who opted to use the Embryoscope®. Their results will be compared to non-PCOS women attending the Centre during the same time period who opted to use the Embryoscope®.
REC name
West Midlands - Coventry & Warwickshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/WM/0241
Date of REC Opinion
23 Oct 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion