The technique involves stimulating dormant ovarian follicles, also known as Graafian follicles. These follicles are small spherical cavities that fill with fluid to develop eggs. Once the egg is developed, the woman ovulates and prepares for fertilization.

If these follicles are damaged, however, a woman may not produce eggs and may experience infertility. Only a small portion of ovarian follicles are used each month, and some remain dormant over the course of a woman’s life. Researchers hoped that by stimulating these follicles, they could boost fertility.

Researchers first tested the technique on mice and were successfully able to produce mature eggs and then pups. They were also able to produce eggs in humans, but did not investigate the technique’s effects on conception.

Experiments are still in the early stages, but these results do provide hope for couples struggling with fertility. Lead author of the study, postdoctoral fellow Jing Li of Stanford University Medical School, says it will be a while before they know whether this method will be as successful in humans as it is in mice.

“We hope that aging women, women who have frozen ovarian tissues prior to undergoing cancer treatments, or women with premature ovarian failure could benefit from our research," Li told Health Day.

Read the original article in Health Day, or visit The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences to view the study’s abstract.

Forty-two percent of the women in the study trying to conceive experienced infertility, but pregnancy was more likely for women who became obese after age 18. The good news is, surgical weight loss may increase fertility.

The study, the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS), provided information on the fertility of obese women considering surgical weight loss procedures.

Obesity can interfere with a woman’s hormone levels, making it difficult to become pregnant. This also makes vitro procedures less likely to work. Even in the event of conception, there are major health risks to both mother and child. Not only are miscarriage rates higher, but there are also a higher rates of premature and still-births.

Weight loss surgery, also known as bariatric or metabolic surgery, which includes gastric bypass surgery and lap banding, may help obese women trying to conceive. Many women don't know that having such a procedure is an option.

Research shows that bariatric surgery can reduce pregnancy complications for obese women, and LABS participants were no exception. Roughly 62 percent of LABS participants who underwent surgery who hoped to conceive experienced at least one live birth after infertility.

After weight loss surgery, doctors advise women to wait at least 18 months after surgery (6 months after banding) before trying to become pregnant. They also suggest using contraceptives while waiting for the body to become more stable.

“As the incidence of obesity increases in the United States, women’s health care practitioners are likely to care for a substantial number of patients who will undergo bariatric surgery,” says Dr. William Gibbons of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. “Studies like this one are extremely useful to help us determine how to advise these patients and best meet their needs.”

Find more information about pregnancy after bariatric surgery, or test your knowledge with Healia’s Pregnancy Quiz.