Low Dose IVF
Low Dose IVF, a minimal stimulation IVF, is a relatively new and advanced reproductive technology (ART) that offers a gentle alternative of ovarian stimulation to traditional in vitro fertilisation (IVF). In Low Dose IVF the ovaries of a woman are minimally stimulated, using oral ovulation induction agents and/or low doses of gonadotropins (follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone), in order to induce the growth of a small number of eggs.
The process is identical to traditional IVF, except that the goal is to create only a few but high quality embryos for transfer. Low Dose IVF answers two major concerns for both patient and doctor — cost and overmedication. Recent trends in the fertility field prefer an ovulation induction that uses fewer medications and produces fewer but better quality embryos than an ovulation induction that uses significantly higher doses of medications. In other words, Low Dose IVF is a useful method that can be used to help women get pregnant with minimal risks and low cost.
Low Dose IVF is an excellent ART tool which bridges the gap between Natural Cycle IVF and traditional IVF. While in Natural cycle IVF no ovarian stimulation is performed (no oral and/or injectable medications are taken), typically yielding only 1-2 naturally grown eggs and one embryo, in Low Dose IVF a “gentle” ovarian stimulation yields 3-4 eggs and 2-3 embryos, increasing the cycle efficiency significantly. Whereas in traditional IVF a high dose of gonadotropins is often used to maximise eggs/embryos from a single cycle, in Low Dose IVF it is egg and embryo quality which is maximised rather than number.