Assisted zona hatching is a procedure of assisted reproductive technology

Assisted reproductive technology

Assisted reproductive technology is a general term referring to methods used to achieve pregnancy by artificial or partially artificial means. It is reproductive technology used primarily in infertility treatments. Some forms of ART are also used in fertile couples for genetic reasons...

 in which a small hole is made in the zona pellucida, using a micromanipulation, thereby facilitating for zona hatching

Zona hatching

Zona hatching is a phenomenon occurring during prenatal development. Prior to this event, the predecessor of the embryo, in the form of a blastocyst, is surrounded by a glycoprotein sphere called the zona pellucida. To be able to perform implantation on the uterine wall, the blastocyst first needs...

 to occur... Zona hatching

Zona hatching

Zona hatching is a phenomenon occurring during prenatal development. Prior to this event, the predecessor of the embryo, in the form of a blastocyst, is surrounded by a glycoprotein sphere called the zona pellucida. To be able to perform implantation on the uterine wall, the blastocyst first needs...

 is where the blastocyst

Blastocyst

The blastocyst is a structure formed in the early embryogenesis of mammals, after the formation of the morula. It is a specifically mammalian example of a blastula. It possesses an inner cell mass , or embryoblast, which subsequently forms the embryo, and an outer layer of cells, or trophoblast,...

 gets rid of the surrounding zona pellucida

Zona pellucida

The zona pellucida is a glycoprotein membrane surrounding the plasma membrane of an oocyte. It is a vital constitutive part of the latter, external but of essential importance to it...

 to be able to implant in the uterus.

Efficacy

A systematic review and meta-analysis came to the result that assisted zona hatching is related to increased rates of clinical pregnancy and multiple pregnancy in women with previous repeated failure or frozen-thawed embryos. However, it is unlikely to increase clinical pregnancy rates when performed in fresh embryos transferred to unselected women, to those without poor prognosis or to women of advanced maternal age

Advanced maternal age

Advanced maternal age is defined as an increase in the age at which women give birth to their first child, is now a widespread, and indeed near universal, phenomenon across the OECD countries....

.