assisted hatching - using male partner's spermAssisted Hatching is available to Monash IVF patients where the wife is at least 37 years old, the technique appears to be less effective in younger women.
Early embryos are surrounded by a gel-like protective shell called the zona pellucida. When they are about 5-6 days old the embryos must hatch out of the zona pellucida so that they can attach to the wall of the womb and continue growing.
As women get older, the zona pellucida may become harder or tougher making it difficult for the embryos to hatch. As a result, implantation and pregnancy may not occur.
Using micromanipulation, it is now possible to "drill" a small hole in the zona pellucida by applying a weak acid solution or a laser to a very small area. This helps the embryo hatch and so is called assisted hatching.
Assisted Hatching is available to Monash IVF patients where the wife is at least 37 years old and the embryo quality is very good. The technique appears to be less effective in younger women and therefore is not routinely performed in women less than 37 years old.
 Assisted hatching is done on good embryos on day 3 after egg collection and transfers are performed late on the same day.
Assisted hatching was developed in New York by Dr Jacques Cohen, who has produced several hundred births from embryos that have had assisted hatching. There has been no documented increased birth defects in these babies. Monash IVF’s participation in a randomised control trial showed no increase in implantation or pregnancy rates following assisted hatching.
Monash IVF does not recommend this procedure for routine use in IVF treatment. However, this procedure must still be regarded as new and further data is required before it can unequivocally be considered risk free.
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