She agrees with research showing no benefits from ICSI when male factor infertility is absent
Dr. Nanette Santoro of CU OB-GYN, along with other experts, casts doubt on the advantages of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in cases without male infertility. A pair of European studies indicates intracytoplasmic sperm injection results in no significant differences for live birth or cumulative live birth rates compared with treatment by just in vitro fertilization (IVF) alone.
“The reason to limit ICSI is that we now know that manipulation of gametes and embryos can have epigenetic effects on the offspring and can increase the risks of some rare diseases,” said Dr. Santoro. “While this overall risk is small, if there is no obvious rationale to perform ICSI, it should not be performed.”