Minerva

The perils of twins and in vitro fertilisation are illustrated in Human Reproduction (2010; published online 29 January, doi:10.1093/humrep/dep447). A woman experienced massive bleeding mid-pregnancy that required nearly 30 units of blood and products. She was delivered three months prematurely for severe growth restriction of one twin. The other, normal sized baby had cerebral palsy. The mother’s terrified description of events leads Minerva to conclude that however desperate infertile couples might be, single embryo transfer should be offered more often by doctors charged with “first of all, do no harm.”

Older people with heart failure often have low levels of vitamin D. Thinking that this insufficiency might contribute to weak muscles and poor exercise tolerance, researchers tested the effects of vitamin D supplementation in a randomised, double blind, …