At the most delicate threshold of assisted reproduction—the moment an embryo is placed into the womb—medicine has long relied on ritual as much as reason. A new Cochrane review of 11 studies reveals that three widely practiced IVF embryo transfer preparation techniques carry no reliable evidence of improving pregnancy outcomes, exposing a quiet gap between clinical habit and scientific proof. The finding is less an indictment of individual clinicians than a reflection of how tradition, in the absence of rigorous inquiry, becomes its own kind of authority. What remains is a call not for alarm,
Cochrane review finds IVF prep techniques lack proven benefit, calls for better trials
Women undergoing IVF may experience unnecessary discomfort from full bladder procedures and procedural variations without evidence of clinical benefit.