AI could improve IVF success rates, health experts say

Technology being used to help select embryos and personalise treatment to improve fertilisation chances

There are several emerging technologies that could help couples to conceive. Photo: Lindsay Mackenzie

An increasing number of health professionals are using artificial intelligence to tackle rising infertility rates affecting millions worldwide.

The rising use of technology comes after a recent World Health Organisation report said that about 17.5 per cent of adults, or one in six, are affected by infertility.

Dr Shiva Harikrishnan, senior consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist at Medcare Women and Children Hospital in Dubai, said that AI was helping clinicians craft personalised reproductive treatment strategies.

AI is being applied to in vitro fertilisation, an assisted reproductive technology better known as IVF.

A fertility crisis globally means many families are turning to IVF. Victor Besa / The National

“AI methods are being utilised to improve the selection and prediction of sperm cells, oocytes, and embryos and to generate better predictive models for IVF treatments,” Dr Harikrishnan told The National.

IVF is the process of extracting and fertilising eggs outside the body, then transferring the embryos to the uterus.

Sophie Smith, founder and chief executive of Nabta Health, a women's healthcare clinic in Dubai, said efforts were being made to improve variable IVF success rates.

“Considering only 2 per cent of couples are technically unable to conceive naturally – due to a genetic incompatibility or physical impairment – I'd suggest they [IVF success rates] are low,” she said.

AI and machine learning are being used to enhance embryo selection, personalise treatment plans and improve IVF success rates, she added.

AI algorithms analyse embryo images for characteristics like morphology, symmetry and developmental milestones, said Dr Harikrishnan.

A clinical embryologist at Dubai Gynaecology and Fertility Centre. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

By comparing these traits with historical data on pregnancies, AI helps select embryos with the highest likelihood of success, improving selection efficiency and accuracy while reducing the risk of genetic abnormalities or developmental issues.

Dr Harikrishnan said the technology determines which eggs and sperm have the best chances of resulting in an embryo and, in turn, which embryos have the best probability of surviving in the womb.

The results of a study published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology compared embryo selection between AI and human specialists.

It indicated AI models can more accurately predict the likelihood of successful clinical pregnancies.

“AI consistently outperformed clinical teams in studies focused on embryo morphology and clinical outcome prediction during embryo selection assessment,” the study read.

Dr Harikrishnan highlighted that AI has the potential to assist embryologists in swiftly and accurately assessing the health of gametes and embryos.

She said that clinical assessment currently relies on identifying early signs of quality by visually inspecting gametes directly, or by using images and videos.

“AI would eliminate human subjectivity from this process, providing an objective rating of gamete quality based on defined criteria,” Dr Harikrishnan said.

While AI egg selection is still being tested, other emerging technologies could help couples to conceive.

Nabta Health, for example, offers an online platform specifically designed for women to research health conditions, track their health status and purchase feminine products or tests.

People “need to embrace technologies that enable couples to conceive naturally and cheaply from home”, Ms Smith said.

Another example is Diagnio, a UAE company seeking to transform women's health diagnostics into an easy, lab-accurate at-home experience.

It uses saliva-based testing to track ovulation, identify fertility risks, reduce stress and maximise the chances of conception.

“If we don't embrace these technologies, within one or two generations, we will find ourselves in a position where only the wealthiest among us can start families,” Ms Smith said.

Diagnio and Nabta Health are part of a growing FemTech sector focused on addressing women's health issues, said consulting firm McKinsey & Company.