Fertility Therapies Under the Microscope

As medical science continues to churn out ever-more-sophisticated methods to treat infertility -- from egg freezing to genetic screening of embryos -- desperate would-be parents rush to embrace the latest techniques. But some fertility experts worry that procedures of limited benefit are unfairly raising patients' hopes.

Just last month, a new embryo-screening technique created immediate buzz when it was announced at a meeting of fertility experts. A parent group hailed it as a "breakthrough" that may improve women's chances of having a baby through in-vitro fertilization. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, which hosted the meeting, awarded the technique a prize for outstanding research.

But that same day, a related group of experts issued a warning. A committee of the ASRM, together with the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, released a statement urging caution about certain kinds of genetic embryo screening, due to insufficient scientific evidence about the usefulness. A similar concern was noted about egg freezing -- or oocyte cryopreservation -- for healthy woman who want to preserve their eggs for use later in life. The statement called the...