I wonder who's going to star in the movie version of this news story. Woody Allen? Robin Williams? Fozzie the Bear? Because if ever a "scientific study" cried out to be made into a slapstick comedy, it's this one. Here's the deal.Dr. Shevach Friedler is an infertility doctor with the Infertility and IVF unit at Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Israel. But in his spare time, Dr. Friedler has taken training in "movement and mime." Uh huh -- think Marcel Marceau with a stethoscope.
Anyway, Friedler and his colleagues (whether from the hospital or the clown school the report doesn't say) made a study of 219 women undergoing in-vitro fertilization. The control group received donor embryos without any fanfare whatsoever. But the lucky women in Group B were treated to 15 minutes of jokes, magic tricks and (one supposes) balloon animals from "a professional medical clown" immediately after the procedure. (By the way, the script was written by Friedler himself. Multi-talented guy, huh?)
The results? According to mime/doctor Friedler, 36.4% of women exposed to clowning immediately after embryo transfer became pregnant compared to only 20.2% of the control group. Dr. Friedler therefore thinks that the clowning around was a good thing, reducing the stress of the controversial and troublesome IVF treatment. It perhaps contributed to the higher pregnancy rates.
Of course, the mime/doctor doesn't know for sure about what these results mean and he's careful enough to say so. But I don't doubt that he's hoping the news of this study will get him invited to more parties.
One final note -- and putting all kidding aside -- let me remind readers that because of the incredibly high rates of embryo fatality involved in IVF, I strongly oppose the practice. Despite the heartbreak of a couple being childless, there is nothing that is worth taking such great risks with an unborn child's life. Much better to consider the life-giving choice of adoption to build a family.
