Highlights from ESHRE’s 42nd Annual Meeting (2026)

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This post provides a short summary of select studies presented during the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) 2026 meeting in London. These studies may not have been published or peer reviewed yet.

⚠️ Remembryo summarizes and interprets IVF research for educational purposes. Posts highlight selected findings and may simplify or omit study details, including methods, analyses, author interpretations, limitations, and protocol specifics (such as timing, dosing, or eligibility criteria). These summaries are not a substitute for the original study. Always review the full publication before treatment decisions.

🔗 Original studies are referenced in this post or within the linked Remembryo posts.

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Press releases from ESHRE 2026

These press releases are from Focus on Reproduction, ESHRE’s news site.

Single embryo transfer continues to improve IVF success. In nearly 2,800 donor egg transfers, women aged 49 years and older had lower live birth rates and more miscarriages than younger recipients, despite using eggs from younger donors. Read the full release from ESHRE.

Donor eggs don’t eliminate all effects of reproductive ageing. In nearly 2,800 donor egg transfers, pregnancy success remained high across most age groups, but women aged 49 years and older had lower live birth rates and experienced miscarriages more often than younger recipients, even though the embryos came from younger donors. Read the full release from ESHRE.

IVF remains inaccessible in many parts of the world. Researchers compared IVF costs across 22 countries and found that more affordable treatment was associated with greater use of IVF and more babies born through assisted reproduction. Read the full release from ESHRE.

Frozen embryo transfers continue to become more common across Europe. Preliminary data from more than 1.15 million IVF treatment cycles performed across Europe showed that frozen embryo transfers now account for a large proportion of treatments, while pregnancy rates have remained stable and multiple pregnancies continue to decline. The report also showed that clinics are increasingly transferring a single embryo. Read the full release from ESHRE.

Air pollution may affect sperm at the molecular level. Researchers found that men exposed to higher levels of certain air pollutants during sperm production showed changes in chemical markers that regulate gene activity within sperm cells. Several of the affected genes are involved in sperm development and early embryonic development. Read the full release from ESHRE.

Highlights from ESHRE 2026

Here’s a curated collection of 38 studies presented at the ESHRE 2026 Annual Meeting, along with links to the full abstracts if you’d like to read more. More than 900 oral presentations and posters were presented at this year’s meeting, and these are the studies I think are the most interesting, clinically relevant, or potentially practice-changing.

The full abstract book is available here.

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  1. A randomized trial found that natural FET and medicated FET had similar pregnancy outcomes, although medicated cycles were associated with a greater rise in maternal blood pressure during pregnancy. Read more
  2. Segmental aneuploidy is often reclassified after repeat testing, suggesting some embryos initially considered abnormal may still have reproductive potential. Read more
  3. An international registry study from 46 IVF centers found that whole-chromosome aneuploid embryos did not result in any live births, while 20% of segmental aneuploid embryos did. Read more
  4. A randomized trial found that PRP did not improve embryo quality, ovarian response, or pregnancy outcomes in women with diminished ovarian reserve. Read more. A second randomized trial in a similar population reported similar results. Read more.
  5. Shugoshin-1 reduced age-related chromosomal errors by about 48% in immature human eggs, suggesting age-related aneuploidy may be preventable. Read more
  6. A meta-analysis found that GLP-1 receptor agonist exposure before conception or during the first trimester was not associated with an increased risk of major birth defects or adverse pregnancy outcomes. Read more
  7. A meta-analysis found that ART-conceived children had a higher risk of congenital heart defects than naturally conceived children, although the absolute risk remained low. Read more
  8. A meta-analysis found that day 7 blastocysts had lower pregnancy and live birth rates than day 5 or day 6 blastocysts, although they still resulted in successful pregnancies and may remain worth transferring in selected patients. Read more
  9. A randomized trial found that 150 IU vs. 225 IU recombinant FSH resulted in similar live birth rates, although the 150 IU dose produced higher blastocyst rates in predicted normal responders. Read more
  10. A meta-analysis found that Lactobacillus-containing probiotics were associated with higher clinical pregnancy rates, particularly when treatment lasted more than 14 days. Read more

And here’s a few that may be especially interesting for embryologists and other IVF professionals:

  • Longer warming-to-ICSI intervals reduced fertilization and usable blastocyst rates while increasing oocyte degeneration. Read more
  • A study found that more difficult biopsies were associated with lower euploidy rates and more abnormal PGT-A results. Read more
  • A study found substantial variation in egg retrieval procedure length between IVF clinics, highlighting opportunities for greater standardization. Read more

🔒 Want to keep reading? I’ve summarized and linked 25 additional ESHRE abstracts, covering topics like EmbryoGlue, low-grade inflammation and euploid pregnancy loss, artificial oocyte activation (AOA), trigger timing, and IVF laboratory quality control. The collection includes both patient-focused and laboratory-focused studies, with about half providing practical insights for embryologists and other IVF professionals.

 

About Embryoman

Embryoman (Sean Lauber) is a former embryologist and the founder of Remembryo, an IVF research and fertility education website. After working in an IVF lab in the US, he returned to Canada and now focuses on making fertility research more accessible. He holds a Master’s in Immunology and launched Remembryo in 2018 to help patients and professionals make sense of IVF research. Sean shares weekly study updates on Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit regularly. He also answers questions on Reddit or in his private Facebook group.