The care fertility study reveals that a simple natural oil emulsion could be the key to a more successful IVF and reduce miscarriage. If the claim of British researchers are to be considered, most of the women who are looking to increase their chance of a successful IVF and  reducing risk of miscarriage – could be using a soy-based oil treatment one week prior to their fertility procedure begins.

The researchers from Care Fertility, an IVF clinic in Nottingham, England have evidence that an intravenous treatment, using only soy-based oil known as Intralipid prior to an IVF procedure, dramatically increases pregnancy success rates while reducing the risk of miscarriage.

Dr. George Ndukwe, of the Care Fertility Clinic in Nottingham where the study was conducted, stated “Every day in my clinic I see women who have had numerous IVF cycles all with the same negative outcome and no baby. We are now devoting our attention to finding answers when nature goes wrong.”

Ndukwe and his team, suggest that at least some of those answers can be found in Intralipid, the soy based fatty acid that researchers say plays a role in helping a newly implanted embryo attach to the mother’s uterus and begin to thrive.

Research on Intralipid involved 96 women – average age 37 – all of whom experienced at least 6 previous failed IVF attempts. Fifty of the women in the group received infusions of the soy-based oil, given by intravenous drip about a week before their IVF was to begin. Forty six of the women received no treatment. All the women subsequently underwent an IVF procedure, which included removing their eggs, combining them with sperm in a laboratory dish, and then implanting the resulting embryo into the woman’s uterus.

Fifty percent of the women who received the Intralipid infusions achieved successful pregnancies, compared to just 9 percent of those not treated.  In terms of miscarriage, just two women who received Intralipid miscarried (about 8 percent) compared to seven miscarriages in the group who did not receive the infusions (about 64 percent).

Intralipid was approved by the FDA way back in 1962 to help correct an essential fatty acid and calorie deficiency in those who are unable to eat normally – either due to gastrointestinal difficulties or the inability to swallow.  It consists of 20% Soybean Oil, 1.2% Egg Yolk Phospholipids, 2.25% Glycerin, and Water . Given as an intravenous infusion it bypasses the stomach and goes directly into the bloodstream to supply the body with several essential fatty acids. These are substances required for many biological functions, including reproduction – but they can’t be made by the body. They must be obtained via food, supplements, or in this case the intravenous infusion.

The previous studies too have found that other sources of essential fatty acids have had similar fertility-related results. One of the studies published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers found that simply adding more foods high in an essential fatty acid known as Omega 3 to the diet had enough of an impact on reproduction to kick start ovulation in women with PCOS ( poly cystic ovary syndrome) who were not ovulating at all.

Other studies have shown that foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids ( like cold water fish, flax seeds and walnuts) can encourage a healthy conception in all women by reducing inflammation that can frequently impact the production of fertility hormones, as well as cause inflammation within the uterus that could result in pregnancy loss.

Most notably it is also important to that studies show that for many women, simply increasing their intake of essential fatty acids – particularly Omega 3 fatty acids – either via diet or supplements, can have a similar positive impact on reducing inflammation, while increasing conception rates and decreasing the risk of miscarriage in women who do conceive.

The new study on Intralipid reports that the treatment is easily tolerated and has few side effects and is relatively cheap to administer. So in this respect, it may be worth for your IVF regimen.