Assisted Hatching

What is Assisted Hatching & is it Helpful?

One of the advanced ART (assisted reproductive technology) procedures employed by today’s top fertility specialists, such as those at Southern California Reproductive Center (SCRC), assisted hatching gives embryos a “helping hand” in the hatching process – breaking through the protective zona pellucida layer that envelops them.

Not all embryos can hatch by themselves.

Because hatching is a necessary step for the successful implantation of an embryo, assisted hatching (AH) is a powerful technique used in conjunction with in vitro fertilization (IVF) prior to embryo transfer or blastocyst transfer.

Assisted hatching

• Significantly increases an embryo’s chances of implantation in the uterus
• Utilizes delicate micromanipulation techniques performed by SCRC’s highly skilled embryologists in our IVF lab

How do I know if assisted hatching is right for me?

Several factors contribute to our fertility specialists recommending assisted hatching. Some of these factors include:

• Age – typically women over 37 have drastically increased rates of infertility. Women above or close to this age may require AH in order to achieve a successful pregnancy.
• Repeated IVF failures – if it’s not working for you, then a different approach is needed. AH is often a successful alternative.
• Egg health and quantity – a high number of eggs is pivotal to fertilization and implantation. If you know your egg count is down, assisted hatching is the procedure recommended to make remaining eggs count.
• FSH – when the day 3 follicle stimulating hormone level is elevated, conceiving may prove difficult.