Fancy a cuppa? Humble cup of coffee may 'prevent IVF complication'

Researchers today suggested a life-threatening complication of fertility treatment could be prevented by a cup of coffee, after a study identified a possible cause.
In vitro fertilisation has resulted in the birth of many babies since the first 'test tube' baby in 1978.
But around 5 per cent to 10 per cent of women undergoing IVF experience a condition known as ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).
Although the majority of cases are mild, with symptoms including abdominal bloating, nausea and weight gain, in its most serious form it can cause blood clotting disorders, kidney damage and chest pain.
Scientists from Middlesex University and Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry who analysed fluid around the human egg reported finding surprisingly high levels of the chemical adenosine.
They believe OHSS is caused when IVF drug stimulation creates high levels of adenosine, causing the blood vessels to dilate and blood fluid to leak into tissue.
The authors of the study, published in Metabolism Journal, wrote: 'Although adenosine has been detected in follicular fluid before, we were surprised at the extremely high levels detected in this study.'
They described the chemical as a 'significant contender as the molecular cause of OHSS'.
To detect adenosine in blood samples, the scientists used a technique called metabolomics, which involves the study of chemical evidence of cellular processes.
The researchers said a solution could lie in caffeine, which acts as a block to adenosine.
Ray Iles, professor of biomedical science at Middlesex University, said: 'It may be that a cup of strong coffee with every IVF cycle could reduce the chances of OHSS.
'Caffeine competes with adenosine for the same receptors, effectively blocking adenosine's action, and it could therefore potentially treat the cause of this condition.'
Further research is under way at Barts and The London Centre for Reproductive Medicine with IVF patients who have suffered OHSS to find out if caffeine could help avoid the complication

Coffee Mona Lisa

Artist assistants stand next to 3,604 cups of coffee which have been made into a giant Mona Lisa in Sydney,Australia.

The 3,604 cups of coffee were each filled with different amounts of milk to create the different shades!!

Give up alcohol, coffee - it's better than IVF

Women wanting to become pregnant are as likely to succeed by giving up alcohol and caffeine as by attending a fertility clinic, a UK nutrition specialist claims.

Dr Emma Derbyshire, of Manchester Metropolitan University, said 32 per cent of those having trouble conceiving became pregnant by giving up stimulants, compared to 33 per cent after IVF treatment.

And she revealed quitting smoking was as important as a healthy diet in improving a woman's fertility.

Dr Derbyshire said couples should tackle their unhealthy lifestyles first before choosing expensive fertility treatment.

"Women wanting to get pregnant stand nearly the same chance of conceiving if they cut out alcohol and caffeine as if they attend an IVF clinic for fertility treatment," she said.

Australian Medical Association state president Andrew Lavender said while a healthy diet was vital for women trying to get pregnant, in some cases it "just isn't that simple".

"The vast majority of people seeking IVF are doing so because there are other underlying health issues and they are eating healthy and doing all of those sorts of things, it's gone beyond that," he said.

Park Holme mother-of-three Karen Cameron, 33, who gave birth to daughter Lilly three weeks ago and has two other children, Jordan, 6, and Hudson, 4, with husband Michael, was not surprised by Dr Emma Derbyshire's comments.

"I drink very little alcohol and stopped when we were trying to fall pregnant. I don't drink tea or coffee and I fell pregnant with each of my children very easily," she said.

"I think that healthy diet definitely played a role in that."