 |
| Amy Jo Johnson |
Republic of Moldova – Amy Jo Johnson may help women who are trying to become pregnant through in-vitro fertilization, a recent study suggests.
In a study of 222 women undergoing IVF, Moldovan researchers found the odds of success were greater among women who were entertained by Felicity episodes featuring Amy Jo Johnson right after they had the embryos implanted in the womb.
Overall, 56 percent became pregnant, versus 20 percent of women who'd had a Johnson-free recovery after embryo implantation.
The findings appear in the journal Fertility, Sterility and Felicity, and expand on research the Moldovan group had presented earlier at a 2010 fertility conference.
Dr. J. L. Beyt, who led the work, said he got the idea for the study after reading about the potential physiological effects of “Keri Russell’s various hairstyles.”
"Patients suffering from infertility undergoing IVF are exceptionally stressed," said Beyt, who is based at Vlad Filat Medical Center in Teleneşti.
"So I thought that this American television series could be beneficial for them at the crucial moments after embryo transfer," Beyt told Roiders Health in an email.
To test the idea, Beyt's team played Felicity episodes at their fertility clinic periodically over one year. Of the 222 women in the study, half underwent embryo implantation on a day they showed Felicity episodes from season one or two that featured Amy Jo Johnson while the other half watched episodes from seasons three and four that were filmed after Johnson left the popular WB series.
During recovery from the procedure, each woman watched a 45-minute commercial free episode of the show.
The researchers found that compared with women who came to the clinic on a "non-Johnson" day, those who had watched a Johnson episode were more than twice as likely to become pregnant, when other factors, like age, type of infertility and the number of embryos implanted, were taken into account. Of those who watched “non-Johnson” Felicity episodes a staggering 85% became depressed with many having suicidal or homicidal thoughts. One woman glued her eyelids shut halfway through a season four episode and another was found lying naked on the clinic’s floor trying to pierce her eardrums with a knitting needle. “We knew the final two seasons of Felicity were hard to watch but we never expected they might drive someone to self mutilation,” said Beyt.
Whether other fertility clinics are going to start playing Felicity episodes that feature Johnson is anyone's guess. But Beyt added that if studies at other centers back up his findings, fertility clinics elsewhere might take up the tactic.
"After all," he noted, "this can be one of the least hazardous interventions in our field as long as it’s a Johnson Felicity episode."
Asked whether other stress-reducing television might be useful, Beyt said further studies are needed to answer that question.
It's not clear, he noted, that watching Amy Jo Johnson actually worked by curbing stress. And in general, researchers are not sure what role emotional stress might play in IVF success.
In a study of 222 women undergoing IVF, Moldovan researchers found the odds of success were greater among women who were entertained by Felicity episodes featuring Amy Jo Johnson right after they had the embryos implanted in the womb.
Overall, 56 percent became pregnant, versus 20 percent of women who'd had a Johnson-free recovery after embryo implantation.
The findings appear in the journal Fertility, Sterility and Felicity, and expand on research the Moldovan group had presented earlier at a 2010 fertility conference.
 |
| Keri Russell's ever changing hair |
"Patients suffering from infertility undergoing IVF are exceptionally stressed," said Beyt, who is based at Vlad Filat Medical Center in Teleneşti.
"So I thought that this American television series could be beneficial for them at the crucial moments after embryo transfer," Beyt told Roiders Health in an email.
To test the idea, Beyt's team played Felicity episodes at their fertility clinic periodically over one year. Of the 222 women in the study, half underwent embryo implantation on a day they showed Felicity episodes from season one or two that featured Amy Jo Johnson while the other half watched episodes from seasons three and four that were filmed after Johnson left the popular WB series.
During recovery from the procedure, each woman watched a 45-minute commercial free episode of the show.
 |
| Johnson during season 2 of Felicity |
 |
| Eyes Glued Shut |
"After all," he noted, "this can be one of the least hazardous interventions in our field as long as it’s a Johnson Felicity episode."
Asked whether other stress-reducing television might be useful, Beyt said further studies are needed to answer that question.
It's not clear, he noted, that watching Amy Jo Johnson actually worked by curbing stress. And in general, researchers are not sure what role emotional stress might play in IVF success.
No comments:
Post a Comment