Europe is struggling with low birth rates, and various warnings appear almost daily in the media.
28/12/2018, Leoš Kopecký, Sci-line
The reality is that a significant percentage of couples somehow cope or will most likely have to cope with unsuccessful pregnancy attempts. What is the reality, is it possible to reverse this trend and what is the state of artificial fertilization in our country?
Current state
Approximately 100,000 children are born in the Czech Republic every year, of which 7-10% are through assisted reproduction. It may be soon be more, but it may also be less. If our society is wise, this percentage can be reduced to zero. So far, artificial fertilization is the best method we have if it is not possible naturally. The Prague Fertility Centre is one of the most advanced and successful in Europe and uses a wide range of innovative methods and practices, which it has either developed or is the first to put into practice.
The role of the doctor and their approach
The relationship with the patient is unique in this clinic. The approach to infertility treatment is complex and includes physical, nutritional, emotional, and psychological factors. Fertilization and pregnancy are intimate and very individual for each couple - a particular woman and a particular man, and their lifestyle also plays a part. It is also important that the patient feels good, and that negative emotions, tension and stress disappear, and that positive attitude contributes to the success of the procedure, for which they do the utmost here.
New methods in the Prague Fertility Centre
The success of the clinic, in addition to its exceptional approach to patients, is based on the use of new unique methods, the author of which is the co-founder of the clinic, embryologist Daniel Hlinka. One of these is the original method OptimFert, which is based on the monitoring of oocytes, which are mature eggs, in a laboratory environment. This is a non-invasive method using polarizing microscopy, which can be used in treatment cycles with fresh or even frozen eggs and makes it possible to choose the right time when the egg is sufficiently mature and ready for fertilization. This is the most dominant factor affecting the quality of the embryo. In addition, the quality of the sperm and the quality of the surrounding (cultivation) environment of course play an important role. OptimFert is recommended especially for elderly women or women with a premature onset of the menopause.
Daniel Hlinka is also the author of Cognitive Automation of Time-lapse Images (CATI), the first automated system in the world to evaluate and select embryos using artificial intelligence. This method makes it possible to monitor the vitality and genetic structure of the embryo and to diagnose the occurrence of possible disorders in its early stages of development. Thanks to CATI, the effectiveness of preimplantation genetic diagnostics and screening methods has been significantly enhanced at the clinic. At the same time, the risk of miscarriage and the birth of an unhealthy child has been reduced.
For experts in the field of embryology from around the world as well as for the laymen and patients, the clinic operates the educational portal Fertilitypedia, which is an interactive guide to both natural and assisted conception.
The Prague Fertility Centre is also the industry leader in embryology research and is a popular clinic for patients from around the world.
MVDr. Daniel Hlinka is the co-founder of the Prague Fertility Centre and is one of the world’s leading embryologists. He is the “father” of the first child born by ICSI (transmission of one sperm to an egg under a microscope) in 1994, when he was the head of the IVF Assisted Reproduction Centre in Košice. He subsequently worked as an embryologist at two top clinics in Brno and moved to Prague in 2003, where in 2009 he established the Prague Fertility Centre together with MUDr. Sonja Lazarovská.
