ABSTRACT
The success of clinical IVF was initially compromised by sub-optimal culture conditions, resulting in impaired embryo development (1-6) and a subsequent loss of viability. However, research during the past 10-15 years has resulted in the development of more physiological and effective culture media capable of maintaining the viability of the developing embryo (7-10). This in turn has resulted in an increase in implantation rates and a decrease in the number of pregnancies lost. Furthermore, more suitable culture conditions produce embryos more able to survive cryopreservation (11). Therefore, improvements in embryo culture technology have significantly contributed to the increase in the overall success rates of human assisted conception.
