Cystic Fibrosis Patients Need Counseling to Preserve Fertility

12/13/21/Source: Cystic Fibrosis News Today 

A study on cystic fibrosis fertility published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing conducted by researchers at the University of Alabama focused on female Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients’ fertility preservation pre-lung transplant. The study found that 78% of women diagnosed with CF want to have biological children but the treatment could cause infertility. The study established that three out of four women when discussing their treatment plan fertility preservation was never talked about.

Cystic Fibrosis patients had to rely on the internet and social media along with other CF patients for information about parenthood and fertility. The study called out a need for fertility counseling to be included in the treatment plan as well as resources to be focused on CF patients and their fertility preservation options. 

How long can frozen embryos be stored?

Our clients often ask, how long can I store my embryos? We say, indefinitely. And we continue to see healthy babies born from embryos that have been in storage for longer and longer! There is no maximum number of years an embryo can stay in storage and still be viable. Meaning that someone can store their embryos as long as they wish.

The first successful birth from a frozen embryo was in 1978 and since then there have been many successful births from frozen embryos. Beginning in the 1980s, embryo freezing has become a common practice among clinicians. Currently, the longest recorded frozen embryo resulting in a successful birth happened in 2020 when a donated embryo that had been frozen for 27 years produced a healthy baby girl, named Molly. The previous record was set by her sister, Emma, who was born from an embryo that had been in storage for 24 years.