Clowns help infertile women conceive healthy babies

It is well-known fact that laughter makes us live longer. But the recent study shows that laughter can be also very useful for women’s fertility.

Photo: Clowns help infertile women conceive healthy babies

Clowns are helping women undergoing fertility treatment to conceive, say Israeli doctors.

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, Scotsman reports.

"A specially devised medical clowning session of 10 to 15 minutes was composed by our clown team. Women after embryo transfer lie for an hour in bed and the clown has a session with them," said Shevach Friedler of the Assaf Haro-feh Medical Centre in Zerifin, Israel.

"The clown approaches the bed where the woman is lying and he makes contact first by eye, then with conversation. The point is to get the women to smile and laugh. They use magic tricks and tell some jokes," Dr Friedler said.

One of the medical team, Shlomi Algussi, is a trained clown who dresses up in a chef's hat and a yellow and white vest. "It makes them laugh and feel less anxious. After embryo transfer, stress could be critical," Dr Friedler said, according to sci-tech-today.com.

Source: agencies

Prepared by Alexander Timoshik
Pravda.ru

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