Humour Clowns linked to IVF Success

[melbel]

Just saw this pop up on Good News Week and did a bit of a google:


Sustain Pregnancy Hormone imbalance EggQuality Implantation Miscarriage
Lifting the mood . . . humour clowns may help with the stress associated with IVF.


Is laughter the best medicine? Perhaps not always but it may help women who are trying to become pregnant through in-vitro fertilization, an Israeli study found.

In a study of 219 women undergoing IVF published in Fertility and Sterility, an Israeli team led by Shevach Friedler found that the odds of success were greater among women who were entertained by a professional "medical clown" just after the embryos were transferred to their wombs.

Overall, 36 percent became pregnant, as compared to 20 percent of women who'd had a comedy-free recovery after the transfer procedure.

Friedler said he got the idea for the study after reading about the potential physiological impact of laugher as a "natural anti-stress mechanism."
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"Patients suffering from infertility undergoing IVF are incredibly stressed," said Friedler, who is based at Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Zrifin, Israel.

"So I thought that this intervention could be beneficial for them at the crucial moments after embryo transfer."

To test the idea, the research team had a medical clown visit their fertility clinic periodically over one year.

During recovery from the procedure, each woman had a 15-minute visit from the clown, who performed a specific routine created by Friedler, who has studied movement and mime, and a colleague.

The researchers found that, compared to women who came to the clinic on a "non-clown" day, those who'd had a laugh were more than twice as likely to become pregnant, when other factors such as age, type of infertility and the number of embryos transferred, were taken into account.

Friedler said more studies were needed to see if other stress-reducing techniques might be useful, noting that it wasn't clear if the clown intervention had actually worked to curb stress.

Researchers also don't know what role emotional stress might play in IVF success.

So-called "clown care" has long been used at medical centers in Israel, the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia, usually in children's hospitals.

Israel's University of Haifa also recently launched a degree program in "medical clowning."

Friedler said that if studies at other centers back up his findings, fertility clinics elsewhere might take up the tactic.

"After all, this is one of the least hazardous interventions in our field," he said.

Reuters


Interesting food for thought!!!

[BellyBelly]

Laughter is unbelievably powerful, for so many things. Very healing.

[melbel]

Absolutely!! Can't argue with that!!

[onthefly]

Interesting. Lucky my DH is such a clown.

BTW, I read an article recently quoting some other study that reckoned stress made no difference to the outcome of IVF cycles...

[HotI]

I hate the Clown doctors.

[*Beema*]

I love the clown doctors espeically after having a number of hospital stays with DD and they do help.

Fascinating study, was going to Google it myself but saw it pop up here

[melbel]

Interesting. Lucky my DH is such a clown.

BTW, I read an article recently quoting some other study that reckoned stress made no difference to the outcome of IVF cycles...

Yeah i read that too...all that research shows is that stress doesn't decrease the base success rate of IVF...nothing to say that humour can't increase the base success rate of IVF....... acunpuncture shows similar result in IVF success.....hmmm...there's a thought, combine the Clowns with the acupuncture........

[BellyBelly]

Clowns with needles? :|

[melbel]

hey.....don't knock it till you've tried it!!

[BellyBelly]

Thats stuff nightmares are made of lol. A business idea in there for someone..... Ha!

[onthefly]

dont' tell Lenny, ok?

[nothing2lose]

No clown doctors at my IVF clinic and I have my transfer tomorrow (FX!!)

Do you think I could convince my FS to wear a big red nose and oversized shoes?

Perhaps she could squirt the embies into me using one of those squirting flowers or bowties???

[Kazzo]

I sort of link this with those who have fallen pregnant naturally after trying for so long in the month they have just given up and decided to just enjoy each other and not worry about falling pregnant. With no stress and some fun surely it makes a huge difference. I know it did for my closest friend after 16 months she fell pregnant after not trying because she booked into see a specialist in a few weeks. She was more then happy when the specialist called her in after first bloods to tell her he could not help her. They had done it all by themselves.

Goodluck tomorrow N2L

[RhiChiChi]

Interesting. Lucky my DH is such a clown.

BTW, I read an article recently quoting some other study that reckoned stress made no difference to the outcome of IVF cycles...

I read that article too about the stress - interesting hey?

[BellyBelly]

Im surprised its taken them this long! Laughter, happiness even smiling has an effect on your body! Happy hormones help fight disease and keep you healthy and young.