'Laughter the best medicine' for fertility treatment

Published on Wednesday 21 June 2006 01:58

CLOWNS are helping women undergoing fertility treatment to conceive, Israeli doctors said yesterday.

After introducing clown therapy to patients having in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), doctors at Assaf Harofeh Medical Centre in Zerifin said their conception rate rose from 20 per cent to 35 per cent.

"To our surprise we found a significant difference between the women who were exposed to clowning," said Dr Shevach Friedler, a trained mime artist and fertility doctor at the centre.

Some 33 of the 93 women entertained for 10 to 15 minutes by the professional clown conceived, compared with 18 patients among the same group who did not receive a performance, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting in Prague heard.

Meanwhile the conference also heard that "talking therapy" could help infertile, stressed women to become pregnant.

US scientists found that a build-up of stress can play a major role in preventing a woman from ovulating.

A pilot study revealed that psychotherapy had a startling effect in some of these women, restoring fertility in up to 80 per cent of cases.

The meeting also heard about a new jab which could help men undergoing cancer treatment remain fertile and have children later on.

The drug known as AS101, based on the metal tellurium, has been found to prevent testicular damage from chemotherapy in mice.