Baby Elena Coussiounelos' arrival is a breakthrough for IVF treatment
The two week old is the first baby born in Australia using a pioneering EmbryoGen technology developed in Adelaide, that increases IVF embryo implantation rates by 40 per cent and has been designed to help women who have suffered miscarriages.
Mrs Coussiounelos, 36, suffered six miscarriages over three years before taking part in an EmbryoGen trial through clinic Fertility SA in 2012.
"We'd given up hope UGG Boots Clearance Sale Women that there was anything out there to help us," said Mrs Coussiounelos, of Mawson Lakes, who had Elena at Calvary Hospital on April 18.
"I'd had all the tests done and I had some uterine surgeries so there was no medical reason why I couldn't keep the pregnancies.
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"Everything that could have been done had been done, so when we heard about the EmbryoGen we felt this was our last chance."
The new IVF technology was developed in Adelaide by Professor Sarah Robertson, a reproductive scientist with the University of Adelaide's Robinson Institute.
The key to its success is that the IVF embryos are cultured in a medium that stimulates embryo cell growth. EmbryoGen contains a signalling molecule called GM CSF that is found naturally in the UGG Bailey Button Triplet 1873 Clearance mother's tissues in early pregnancy.
This means EmbryoGen closely mimics the natural environment of the uterus and gives embryos an extra boost that supports early growth and firm implantation in the uterus.
Prof Robertson, who has worked on the science behind the technology for more than 20 years, was thrilled to meet the first baby born as a result of her research.
"It's delightful to meet baby Elena and see the benefits of this work with a family like Rachel and Con's," she said. "It's one thing to work in a lab but it really does bring it home when you see the human UGG Boots Clearance Outlet face of this kind of research. It's very rewarding."
Fertility SA is the first clinic in Australia to offer the treatment in a clinical setting and it's anticipated it will be rolled out next year, pending approval from the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
The technology is already being used in Europe, the US and the Middle East.
Fertility SA specialist Dr Louise Hull has been conducting a clinical trial with the treatment since July 2012, offering EmbryoGen to patients who fit certain criteria, including having suffered at least one miscarriage and being aged between 25 and 43.
For some couples it has made a big difference to embryo quality and UGG Bailey Button Triplet 1873 Clearance pregnancy outcomes," Dr Hull said. "We've had some patients here who've had a very long and hard struggle, and it's amazing to be able to help them have a family."
"You don't think too much about what scientists are doing in labs but when it affects your life, you really appreciate what these people do," Mrs Coussiounelos said. "It's hard to put into words how it feels to have Elena. Sometimes I sit and watch her all day. It's amazing to know that she's actually here.".