title: Bayesian classification for the selection of in vitro human embryos using morphological and clinical data.
abstract: In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a medically assisted reproduction technique that enables infertile couples to achieve successful pregnancy. Given the uncertainty of the treatment, we propose an intelligent decision support system based on supervised classification by Bayesian classifiers to aid to the selection of the most promising embryos that will form the batch to be transferred to the woman's uterus. The aim of the supervised classification system is to improve overall success rate of each IVF treatment in which a batch of embryos is transferred each time, where the success is achieved when implantation (i.e. pregnancy) is obtained. Due to ethical reasons, different legislative restrictions apply in every country on this technique. In Spain, legislation allows a maximum of three embryos to form each transfer batch. As a result, clinicians prefer to select the embryos by non-invasive embryo examination based on simple methods and observation focused on morphology and dynamics of embryo development after fertilization. This paper proposes the application of Bayesian classifiers to this embryo selection problem in order to provide a decision support system that allows a more accurate selection than with the actual procedures which fully rely on the expertise and experience of embryologists. For this, we propose to take into consideration a reduced subset of feature variables related to embryo morphology and clinical data of patients, and from this data to induce Bayesian classification models. Results obtained applying a filter technique to choose the subset of variables, and the performance of Bayesian classifiers using them, are presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of the Basque Country, Paseo Manuel Lardizabal 1, E-20018 Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain. dinora-morales@ehu.es
authors.forename: Dinora Araceli
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Morales
authors.forename: Endika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bengoetxea
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Larrañaga
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Yosu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Mónica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fresnada
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Merino
mesh_terms: D001185:Artificial Intelligence; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D015053:Zygote / Q000145:classification / Q000648:ultrastructure