Quality requirements for sperm of test tube infants
The development of IVF technology has helped countless couples realize their dreams, but sperm quality is one of the important factors for successful IVF process. Whether sperm quality is good or not directly affects fertilization rate and embryo development quality. This article will introduce the requirements of IVF sperm quality from four aspects: sperm quantity, morphology, vitality and genetic factors.
Number of sperm
Sperm quantity is an important index to evaluate sperm quality. Generally speaking, there should be at least 20 million active sperm per milliliter of semen. The higher the sperm concentration, the greater the probability of successful fertilization. If the number of sperm is too low, assisted reproductive technologies, such as egg donation or sperm donation, need to be used.
For patients with low sperm count, hormone therapy or surgical treatment can be used to increase the sperm count. For example, in some specific hospitals, ovarian stimulators or testicular stimulators are used to stimulate the hormone secretion of the ovary or testis to increase the number of sperm.
In addition, life habits and environmental factors will also have an impact on the number of sperm. For example, avoid using computers and mobile phones for a long time, reduce the frequency of hot baths, and increase exercise, which can help to increase the number of sperm.
Sperm morphology and vitality
Sperm morphology and motility are critical to the success of fertilization and embryo development. Normal sperm usually have the shape of big head and long tail, and the tail has enough vitality. Only the sperm with enough vitality can swim into the egg and complete the fertilization process.
Abnormal sperm morphology usually leads to failure of fertilization and embryo development. Therefore, in IVF technology, sperm is often required to have normal morphology and good vitality. Some hospitals use special dyes for sperm morphology detection and counting to evaluate the quality of sperm.
For sperm with abnormal morphology and vitality, ICSI technology, namely single sperm microinjection, can be considered to improve fertilization rate and embryo development quality.
Genetic factor
Genetic factors are also one of the key factors affecting the quality of IVF sperm. Some genetic diseases or abnormalities will directly affect the quality and function of sperm and increase the risk of abnormal embryonic development.
When selecting a sperm donor, the hospital usually carries out a comprehensive genetic test to prevent the sperm carrying pathogenic mutations from being injected into the egg. This ensures the genetic health of future generations.
In addition, some patients may carry mutation genes of some genetic diseases. Hospitals usually screen and select embryos without abnormal genes for implantation by means of pre implantation genetic diagnosis. This can reduce the risk of future generations.
Summary
Sperm quality is critical to the success of IVF technology. Sperm quantity, morphology and motility, as well as genetic factors are the main factors affecting sperm quality. The hospital evaluates and improves sperm quality through various technical means, such as hormone therapy, special dye detection and preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Ensuring that the sperm quality meets the requirements can improve the success rate of IVF and ensure the genetic health of offspring.
