Three preparation techniques used routinely in fertility clinics are not supported by reliable evidence that they improve pregnancy rates, according to a new Cochrane systematic review.
The review, led by Noyuri Yamaji of Showa Medical University in Japan and published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, analyzed 11 studies involving 2,524 women undergoing embryo transfer. It examined straightening the utero-cervical angle by having patients arrive with a full bladder, removing cervical mucus before transfer, and afterloading, a technique for guiding the embryo through the cervix.
