24.02.2014 - Report from a La Botella customer - the original spanish report below ...
Hello. I 'm Diomaris , I want to share my experience about the effectiveness of this wonderful bottle La Botella. I was operated on twice because of endometriosis grade 4 , I had to take several medications that were very expensive. I had the wish to become pregnant but it did not work until one day in the midst of desperation I asked God for a signal or a sign that I know the way I might still be pregnant. One morning I came across in my search on the Internet on the information of La Botella . At first I doubted these reports - I had too many failed attempts paid dearly but then I thought - that this was perhaps THE SIGN and decided to try it – to trust is in God and also in La Botella . I got in touch with the Lord name Robert and ordered La Botella . When I started drinking Botella , on 15 August 2013 , had just finished my menstruation. The following month I was waiting for my period , because I was aware that one of the functions of La Botella is a cleaning process of the body and this is also excreted through the menstrual period . But I waited for my menstrual period was due on September 10, 2013 - but she just could not . On 13 September 2013 I then made a pregnancy test. And what do you think ? I was in the 5th Week pregnant - Waaoow ! I could not really believe because usually you can expect 2-3 months for a positive test . I was rewarded for my faith in God and also at La Botella , with every sip I drank I always prayed to God . Now I 'm in 7.Month and everything is going very well , thank God. I advise all women whose have different problems to become pregnant do not give up hope before they have La Botella given a chance. I hope that my testimony will help them not to lose faith and trust ...
Hola. Soy Diomaris, quiero compartir mi testimonio sobre la efectividad de esta milagrosa botella. Fui operada dos veces de endometriosis grado 4, había probado con varios medicamentos que por cierto eran muy costoso, hasta que un día en medio de mi desesperación por querer salir embarazada pero no podía, Le pedí a mi Dios que me iluminara y me diera una señal de que tenía que hacer, una mañana buscando información sobre cómo salir embarazada, milagrosamente encontré la información sobre la botella, al principio dude un poco ya que estaba cansada de haber hecho tantos intentos fallidos, pero con la fe que tengo decidí creer, primero en Dios y después en la botella, así lo hice. Me puse en contacto con este Señor llamado Robert, encargue la botella, la menstruación se me había quitado justo el día en que empecé a tomar la botella asea el 15 de agosto 2013, al mes siguiente estaba esperando mi periodo porque entendía que debía llegarme ya que una de las funciones de la botella era limpiar el organismo primero, pero para mi sorpresa! me quede esperando la menstruación, la cual tenía que llegarme el 10 de septiembre 2013, el 13 del mismo mes me hice la prueba de embarazo y Que creen!!! Tenía 5 semanas de embarazo, wuaoo! en verdad no lo podía creer ya que la botella da de 2 a 3mese para salir embarazada, fui premiada por fe en Dios y la botella, cada trago que me tomaba oraba mucho. Hasta hora tengo 7meses de embarazo y todo ha marchado súper bien gracias a Dios. Les aconsejo a muchas mujeres que están pasando por problemas de infertilidad, que no pierdan la oportunidad de por lo menos probar esta maravillosa botella....... espero que mi testimonio les ayude a tener un poco de fe y esperanza……
You want your baby, and that as soon as possible?
Nothing you has tried has worked?
You gave a lot of money on chemical products?
Has received each month the same result, "negative"?
You want a product using natural ingredients to realize your dream?
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Welcome and congratulations ... here is your solution.
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... Everything you need to know about La Botella, please visit:
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Traditional Healing Methods Getting Attention In Border City
CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico — In the Southwest traditional healing methods, like herbal remedies, often stem from old Mexican and Native American customs. But these practices have been overshadowed by modern Western medicine and some are being forgotten.
Now a group in El Paso is making plans to start a new school where students can be trained in alternative healing methods.
Along the U.S./Mexico border herbal remedies aren’t hard to find. Across from El Paso, in downtown Ciudad Juárez, an indigenous Tarahumara woman spreads her brightly colored skirts onto a dusty sidewalk in the marketplace. Laid out beside her is the equivalent of a botanical pharmacy for sale.
One by one she lifts small plastic bags packed with dried plants.
“This one is good for kidney problems,” she said. “This one for diabetes and this one for stomach aches.”
The woman has a steady stream of customers including a mother with a restless toddler, an older man in a rancher's hat and a young man with earbuds dangling over his shoulder. The young man is looking for a plant to relieve stress.
These are similar to the kinds of remedies Armando Gonzalez Stuart received as a child growing up in Mexico. Gonzalez now has a PhD in alternative medicine, a subject he teaches at El Paso Community College. He helped organize a health fair on alternative medicine this summer in El Paso and was shocked by the number of attendees.
"We were expecting maybe 300 to 400 people,” Gonzalez said. “It turns out that 2,100 people came on July 20 of this year."
The group that organized the fair is a mix of local professionals who work in education and health care. Now they’ve formed a board to raise money for a new school for natural healing. They plan to call it Centro de Vida, or Center of Life. The curriculum has yet to be determined but will likely include massage therapy, aromatherapy, homeopathic therapies and herbal medicine.
Every month a group of retired men gather at a southeast El Paso clinic to discuss health issues informally. They sit around a break room sipping coffee and cracking open peanuts.
Oscar Adame is part of the group. He’s 68 years old and was born in Ciudad Juarez.
“My mother, when we were young, they used to give us only herbs and yerbitas for every remedy, for the head, for your stomach, for your cold," Adame said.
Yerbitas is Spanish for herbs. Adame confesses he still uses herbal remedies for his everyday ailments. So do others in the group.
Jose Luis Garcia, a local pharmacist, counsels the men. The time he takes with them in this space allows him to learn more about how they care for themselves, something that doesn’t always happen during a 15 minute doctor’s visit.
"Traditionally the doctor will never know that 70 to 90 percent of their patients will use yerbitas or other therapies," Garcia said.
Often the herbal medicines work to the patient’s benefit, he said, but it’s also important that these remedies are better studied so more is known about their true medical benefits.
“The problem with the yerbitas and the things that we use is that we don't have studies on paper like we do with the medicines. Yet most medicines may come from yerbitasthemselves,” Garcia said.
Schools like the one being developed in El Paso may focus on these kinds of scientific studies.
So-called “natural healing” is not always held in the highest regard in the Western medical world. But some forms, such as naturopathy, which uses preventative medical techniques and herbal medicines, already have established schools and graduate licensed practitioners who work around the country.
Naturopathy may see a boost in popularity in coming years. Under President Barack Obama'sAffordable Care Act, health insurance providers would be required to include accredited naturopathic practitioners in their coverage.
Homepage: http://www.fronterasdesk.org/news/2012/sep/17/traditional-healing-methods-getting-attention-bord/
“Herbs Are Better Than Tablets,” Traditional Herbalists Speak Out
An age-old debate on which mode is better to cure diseases, whether pills, (Western medicine), or herbs (African traditional medicine) has tilted over the weekend, when over 100 Liberian indigenous herbalists announced that their own medicines are better than pills and syrups.
The Liberian traditional herbalists, under the banner, the “Traditional Medicine Federation of Liberia (TRAMEDFOL)” proclaimed that herbs, which they termed as ‘From God to Man or God’s Gift’, are the best remedy for mankind.
The herbalists celebrated the 10th African Traditional Medicine Day, on Friday, August 31, 2012 under the theme: “Institution of African Traditional Medicine Day: What Impact” at the auditorium of the University of Liberia on Capitol Bye Pass.
It was sponsored by the West African Health Organization and the World Health Organization office in Liberia in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
An 84-year-old herbalist, Abraham Quaye, who resides on Peace Island, Oldest Congo Town, in a euphoric tone, told our reporter that herbs, otherwise known as “country medicines,” are better than Western medicine. He said he has spent over 65 years in practicing as an indigenous herbalist.
Mr. Quaye said he had cured and can cure a variety of diseases.
According to him, he takes three (3) days to cure an insane woman and four days (4) to cure an insane man, and takes nine days on either sex to cure epilepsy.
“I have witnesses that country medicines are far good than the one in the health centers or drug stores,” he said.
On the other hand, a female herbalist, Ms. Rachel Diah said she cures kidney, liver, pressure, stroke problems.
The chairman of the Board of Complementary Medicine, Dr. John K. Reed praised the important role of traditional medicine in the country, and said it cannot be over-emphasized.
He said most people in rural areas use traditional medicine which is the most accessible primary health care services to them.
Dr. Reed called on herbalists to be united in their treatment and should adopt standardized ways of administering herbs to patients.
He told them to only administer effective herbs and should not give fake “green leaves” only to collect money from the sick.
This will ruin the good name of other traditional herbalists, he added.
Dr. Reed called on the government of Liberia through the Ministry of Health to send deserving herbalists to other countries to further their education in traditional medicines.
He named China, Kenya and Nigeria as some of the countries.
Meanwhile, WHO Representative in Liberia, Dr. Nester Ndayimirije noted that traditional medicine has been in use for thousands of years and it has made remarkable contributions to health the care delivery system.
“In Africa and Asia, up to 80% of rural population use traditional medicine as the first line for the treatment of health conditions. In the past two decades, there has been a significant surge in the use of traditional, complementary or alternative medicines in both developing and developed countries,” said Dr. Ndayimirije.
Moreover, he urged the health ministry to bring traditional medicine into the mainstream of the healthcare system appropriately, effectively and most importantly, safely to protect the end users and the public in terms of adverse effects and appropriate dosing.
He also wants the ministry to regulate traditional medicine practice to ensure that the appropriate people are practicing it in a safe and consistent manner and how to ensure coordination between modern medicine and traditional medicine to ensure appropriate referrals.
For his part, the Assistant Minister for Preventive Services at MOH, Mr. Tolbert Nyenswah said that properly regulating country medicine and pills will help government to protect the users and public.
Serious IVF Complication Linked To High Doses Of Hormones
Studies have linked a serious complication to fertility treatments that use high doses of hormones to stimulate egg production. Fertility treatments that rely on high doses of hormones are standard in the United States and the United Kingdom. Fertility clinics in Europe and Japan have turned to a safer, low-dose form of IVF, even though the success rates for low-dose IVF are not as high.
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) is a complication seen in some women who undergo fertility treatments that rely on high doses of hormones. The ovaries become swollen and can leak fluid into the chest and abdomen. Symptoms of the condition can range from mild to serious.
High-dose stimulation leads to OHSS in 10% of IVF patients, according to the National Institutes of Health. In rare cases, OHSS can be life-threatening. OHSS following high-dose IVF is now one of the leading causes of maternal mortality in England and Wales.
In high-dose IVF, a woman is given injections of a drug to suppress her ovaries first. Then the ovaries are stimulated with hormones in order to produce more eggs. Women usually produce one egg per cycle but high-dose stimulation can result in the generation of 20 to 30 eggs, or possibly more. The duration of stimulation is longer and the hormone dose is significantly higher than in the low-dose IVF treatments.
The low-dose technique relies on fewer drugs to stimulate the ovaries, and can result in a quicker recovery time and fewer complications. However, experts say that because the low-dose method produces fewer eggs, it could take more cycles, and perhaps more money, for a woman to conceive.
OHSS is not the only health problem that has been linked to in vitro fertilization. One recent study suggested that high-dose IVF contributes to lower birth weights and experts have long debated whether IVF contributes to an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Some reproductive specialists are switching to a milder form of IVF because of these concerns.
Causes of infertility in male & female
Apart from infections such as,(staphylococcus, gonorrhea, syphilis), wrong lifestyle, poor Libido, Alcohols, spiritual weakness and other related factors, the following physical defects causes male infertility:
INFECTION: This lead to sperm blockage. A lot of men suffer one of the infection or another. The most common of these are:
STAPHYLOCOCCUS (IMMUNE DISTROYER): Infection can lead to infertility both in men and women. Experience has shown that the reason only majority of men are infertile or cannot impregnate a lady is because of one infection or another. More than 30% of modern couples from mid-40s are infertile. These infections ordinarily do not cause it until the infection is prolonged and not cured for a long time.
Oftentimes, a man thinks that once he is sexually active and can go more than two rounds of sexual intercourse in a night, he believes that nothing is wrong with him. But this is a fallacy. Because being sexually active is not an indication of being fertile. Although there are various reasons that can lead to infertility in men from his kind of lifestyle( having an unprotected sexual intercourse), his diet( the kind of food , drink he takes), the nature of his work( working around hot ovens) and any history of venereal diseases. What we are particularly concerned about now is the male infertility that is caused by venereal disease. When a man contracts venereal diseases and if not well treated or cured could lead to staphylococcus infection. Most times staphylococcus infection in man is not easily detected until it has done a lot of damage to his reproductive organ. Most of the time, such a man will be having some common symptoms like: feverish condition, fatigue, headache, quick ejaculation, internal heat, worm like moving sensation in the body, body weakness, stomach noise, yellowish urine, dryness of the hand and leg as if there is no blood in the body, serious waist pain etc. All the above symptoms to him will seem normal until he goes to hospital for test before he can really detect that he has a big problem. On the other hand, any man who usually feels any two or more of the above symptoms should go for laboratory test for Seminal Fluid Analysis (S.F.A), to culture and sensitivity of the semen. Any result that indicates any of the following should be of great concern to such person:
AZOOSPERMIA: This is the absence of living sperm or isolated sperm in the body.
OLIGOSPERMIA: T his is called low sperm count or inadequate sperm. Related to this, are other factors like Motility (sperm swimming ability) and Morphology (structure of the sperm cell).
VISCOSITY: This is a measure of the resistance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear stress or tensile stress. It can also be called watery sperm count.
VARICOCELE: This occur when varicose vein are or grouped together in the scrotum.
ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION: This is inability of a man to perform his sexual responsibility either partial or total such as low libido, quick ejaculation, impotent etc.
FEMALE INFERTILITY:
In woman a number of factors can disrupt this process at any stage. Female infertility be it Primary infertility or Secondary infertility. The most common problems are Ovulatory Disorder (a woman that is not menstruating, ovulating well as a result of Hormonal in balance. This can cause by one infection or the other in the Ovary such as staphylococcus infection, Candida Abican etc. If all these above mentioned is not well treated, it can cause a woman not to be fertile.
FIBROID: This is common being tumor in female, and typically formed during the middle and late reproductive year. Why most fibroid are asymptomatic, they can grow and cause heavy and painful menstruation, painful sexual intercourse and urinary frequency. Research has show that more and more of our generation women are now suffering from fibroid, and why these is so alarming is the fact that fibroid is so common among older women. Most of the time after they have stopped bearing children and in their menopausal stage. A couple should seek help on infertility, if the woman is younger than 35years and has not become pregnant after having unprotected intercourse while ovulating for one year. Such woman should seek health care provider so that they can direct her to go for test such as Higher Virginal Swap Culture (H.V.S.C), blood culture, urinary culture etc.
NATURAL CURE FOR INFERTILITY: Traditional medicine is highly effective in treating the sickness mentioned above. It is time for doctors trained in the western system of healing to recognize and accept the fact that there are other equally effective methods of healing. Orthodox doctors need to be open-minded, so that they can work creatively with traditional healers. After all, most of our people now prefer traditional medicine to scientist drugs. Moreover, many of our today?s African orthodox doctors were brought up on traditional medicine, which is part of our heritage. Infertility should be strictly continues and not cyclical from puberty till extreme old age. There is no limitation on what roots and herbs can take good care of, if only one meet the right practitioner.
Tanzania: Female Infertility Can Be Frustrating
A woman may be infertile if she has not become pregnant within a year despite having regular unprotected intercourse during her most fertile times of the month (before and during ovulation).
Because fertility declines with age, experts recommend that a woman over the age of 35 wait only six months before seeking help. Infertility affects millions of couples.
In one-fifth of those cases, both the man and woman have problems which make it difficult for them to conceive. In the remaining cases, the problem is equally likely to affect either partner.
Symptoms of infertility in a woman: you have been trying to conceive for six months to a year and have not been successful, you have been diagnosed with endometriosis (a condition in which fragments of the endometrial - lining of the uterus are located in other parts of the body, usually in the pelvic cavity).
Endometriosis is most prevalent in women aged 25 to 40 and may cause infertility. How endometriosis causes infertility is unknown, but about 10 to 15 per cent of infertility patients have endometriosis and about 30 to 40 per cent of women suffering from endometriosis are infertile, Chlamydia or pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) may cause infertility. You do not menstruate, or menstruate infrequently or irregularly.
What causes infertility? Normally, an egg is released from a woman's ovary midway through her menstrual cycle (ovulation). The egg then travels from the ovary through the fallopian tubes where it can be fertilized by sperm if the woman has sex.
Infertility occurs in some women because they ovulate irregularly or don't ovulate at all. In others, the fallopian tubes may be scarred and/or obstructed. Sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea (kisonono) Chlamydia and many other infections like syphilis (kaswende) may cause blockage of fallopian tubes and lead to infertility.
Though a medical evaluation is necessary to pinpoint the cause of infertility, women whose periods are irregular or absent probably are not ovulating normally. In some cases, despite extensive testing, no cause can be found.
Irregular ovulation becomes more frequent as a woman enters her late 30s. Hormonal imbalances caused by a variety of factors-weight problems (under weight, obesity) or excess exercise (women athletes and sports women may not bleed due to exercises, although are not pregnant) can also inhibit or halt ovulation.
As I wrote previously in the text, certain medical conditions, such as endometriosis, Chlamydia and pelvic inflammatory disease, can result in scarring and physical obstructions. In some cases patients are advised to have thorough medical checkups and see a doctor for an evaluation for every woman who suspects she is infertile.
If a woman has a medical condition, should talk to her doctor before taking supplements on top of the conventional treatments. The B complex family of vitamins, along with extra vitamin B-6, is important for a healthy reproductive system. In addition, should you become pregnant; the supplements will play an essential role in early foetal development.
Folic acid, in particular, helps to prevent birth defects (commonly known as NTDs -neuro tube defects like spina bifida and hydrocephalus -the big swollen heads seen in neonates (vitoto vichanga chini ya mwezi mmoja). Zinc is necessary for proper cell division and copper is needed to prevent copper deficiency when taking zinc over the long term.
Different supplements on top of conventional treatments may be used to regulate ovulation. It is advisable to consult your doctor who stands to guide you on those issues of infertility. Chaste berry has been showed to enhance woman's production of the hormone progesterone and to suppress the production of the hormone prolactin. Either low progesterone or high prolactin levels may inhibit the ovulation process.
Be warned that there are traditional quacks who claim to treat infertility by abusing their clients, that some medications have to be inserted by using their male organ (the private part) a process and procedure which is non existent in the conventional treatments.
Anecdotally some of the quacks though may not be many, have contracted HIV through that abnormal and unaccepted procedure. I cannot elaborate further on that, such incidences should be reported as sexual offences punishable by law existing in the country.
Not being able to conceive can be frustrating and stressful. The sisters-in-law and the aunts on the husband's side always would want to push the blame to the wife rather to the husband. The communities need to know where the problem is.
What else can a woman do if she is infertile: avoid alcohol and don't smoke. Cigarette smoke can reduce fertility and it can seriously affect your baby's health and development if you do get pregnant. Lose weight if you are overweight and obese, gain weight if you are underweight. Exercise moderately.
Strenuous exercise can interfere with ovulation. The most important point to note: it takes two to make a baby. It is advisable for the men and or husband to accompany his spouse for infertility checkup and/or investigation rather than the woman going it alone.
Infertility Genes Could Lead to Male Contraception
This is an image of a cross-section through a seminiferous tubule, where sperm is made. The cells in green are the supporting cells (containing Katnal1), the red cells are developing sperm.
CREDIT: Lee Smith
CREDIT: Lee Smith
Genes in charge of making sperm cells may be the key to understanding male infertility and even developing male contraception, two new studies indicate.
With this new information in hand, scientists say a male non-hormonal contraceptive may be just five to 10 years away.
Infertility remains a sensitive topic, and about 25 percent of cases remain unexplained. Getting a better grasp on thegenetic causes of infertile mencould lead to better treatments, the researchers say.
"The irony is that it is the fact that these men don't have children that makes standard family-pedigree analysis very challenging, and as such it has historically been extremely difficult to identify genetic causes of specific cases of male infertility," Lee Smith of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, who studies male infertility,told LiveScience.
Fertility genes
The results, published today (May 24) in the American Journal of Human Genetics, are based on a study of the genetics of a group of men who belong to a religious group called the Hutterites, pacifist, self-sufficient colonists similar to the Amish.
"Hutterites [forbid] contraception and uniformly desire large families, providing an outstanding population in which to study the genetics of normal human fertility," study researcher Carole Ober of the University of Chicago explained in a statement. [Birth Control Quiz: Test Your Contraception Knowledge]
The researchers studied Hutterite men with one or more children, taking both family size and birth rate into consideration. They uncovered more than 40 genetic regions that influence how fertile a Hutterite man is, and then compared these with genetic sequences from a sample of Chicago men, in which nine of these same regions seemed to impact fertility.
"We do expect that genes identified … in the Hutterites will be relevant fertility genes in other populations, especially those that were also associated with sperm parameters in our validation studies" of the Chicagoans, Ober told LiveScience.
The next step, Smith said, is to use animal models to figure out the functions of these fertility-impacting genes. In another study, also published today, in the journal PLoS Genetics, Smith does just that.
Immature sperm
Testicular Sertoli cells expressing Green Fluorescent Protein
CREDIT: Lee Smith
CREDIT: Lee Smith
Smith and his colleagues fed drugs to mice that gave them various genetic mutations. Next, to pinpoint genes related to fertility, the researchers identified the infertile mice of the bunch. They then traced the infertility back to the gene mistake that caused it and looked at its effect on the mouse's sperm cells.
The researchers identified one specific gene, called Katnal1, that is crucial for sperm formation. Without the protein created from this gene, mouse sperm can't mature in the testes. These immature sperm are infertile.
The researchers think the same genetic link to infertility may be found in humans; if they can find a drug to manipulate Katnal1 levels in men, or do so permanently using gene therapy, the result might work as a non-hormonal contraceptive. The findings also may explain some cases of infertility: Perhaps the man has a natural mutation that messes Katnal1 up.
"Identification of genetic mutations associated with infertility that affect the supporting cells (and not the sperm themselves) could lead to personalized gene therapy (replacement of faulty genes) for male infertility within five to 10 years," Smith said. "All of the components have been tested and validated in rodent models. Likewise a genetic vasectomy … could also be available within five to 10 years."
IVF: When pregnancy becomes a project
Infertility treatments vary in cost, invasiveness and success in becoming pregnant and having a child.
Tina and James Nessl adore their 7-month-old daughter, Victoria Giselle. She’s outgoing like her parents and they rush home from work to see her every day.
Their bubbly baby is very different from how they first met their child: a cluster of cells, an embryo about to be implanted in Tina’s body. In 2009, Tina was 35 and having difficulty getting pregnant when she sought infertility help.
About one-third of couples in which the woman is older than 35 years have fertility problems, and are turning to infertility treatments, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The treatments vary in cost, invasiveness and success in becoming pregnant and having a child.
“At the end of the day it’s the best money you’ll ever spend because having a child is the most wonderful thing a couple can do. It’s bringing your love to life,” she said.
The couple wanted to have a family together and tried for four years, after they married in 2005. But medical complications got in the way, as Tina takes medications to combat multiple sclerosis. In 2009, at 35, Tina visited an infertility clinic. “We were realizing we were getting older and we had to do something. We didn’t have time on our side and we really wanted to have a child,” she said.
At the Fertility & IVF Center of Miami, they tried two unsuccessful rounds of intrauterine insemination, costing $1,500 each round. Then they turned to the more aggressive and more expensive in vitro fertilization. Their plan, including medications, cost about $17,640. The doctors couldn’t diagnose why the couple couldn’t get pregnant on their own.
Dr. Bernard Cantor, a professor and infertility expert at Florida International University College of Medicine, said the most common cause of infertility is the woman is not ovulating regularly, or at all. In an infertility evaluation, Cantor will review the three things needed for pregnancy: sperm quality, egg quality and any impediment for the sperm and egg to meet in the fallopian tube, like blockage from a prior infection. He will also look for medical conditions that can impact ovulation, like a thyroid problem or polycystic ovarian syndrome with associated insulin resistance and possible diabetes. Other factors, like being overweight and smoking, can reduce a woman’s chances of conceiving.
Most insurance companies will cover diagnostic testing for infertility but will generally not cover the infertility treatment. In Florida, unlike states like Massachusetts, insurance companies are not mandated to cover IVF.
There are five main options that are usually recommended to couples, depending on what doctors believe is causing their infertility:
• Oral medication, such as clomid and serophene, to improve ovulation. This can cost about $300 per cycle.
• Injections of hormones — gonadotropins — that can stimulate eggs to grow in the ovary and ovulate.
• Surgery to remove scar tissue in the woman’s fallopian tubes, where eggs must travel, but which can become blocked or scarred by pelvic infections, previous surgeries or endometriosis, an overgrowth of the tissue lining the uterus.
• Intrauterine insemination, in which the sperm is placed in the uterus during ovulation. This reduces the distance the sperm has to travel.
• In vitro fertilization, in which the egg and sperm are combined in lab and the resulting embryos are placed inside the uterus. Before the fertilization, the woman has to take hormones to stimulate ovulation, so that doctors can extract a number of eggs. With IVF, it is common now for doctors to transfer embryos after five days.
The idea is that at the more advanced stage, fewer embryos have to be transferred, thus reducing one of the biggest risks of IVF: multiple births. However, research by the CDC indicates the day-five embryo transfer does not translate into fewer multiple births. The other downside of IVF is the discomfort. It can cause hyper-stimulation to the ovaries, causing a woman to feel bloated and distended and resulting in possible complications.
Nessl likened the process to “your period times 10.” She had 19 eggs produced by the time doctors determined it was time to retrieve eggs for fertilization. “It’s bearable. Those 19 eggs, it’s the closest you’ve ever been to being pregnant,” she said. “People should definitely think positive.”
IVF, which is the most expensive option, is also the most successful, said Dr. Fernando Akerman, with the Fertility & IVF Center of Miami.
Akerman said couples who are younger than 35 have about 25 percent chance of getting pregnant on their own — having unprotected sex several times a week for one year.
If that same couple have infertility issues and use IVF, their success rate of getting pregnant and having a child climbs to 60 to 70 percent, Akerman said.
“If the patient’s age increases, the success rate decreases because of the quality of their eggs,” Akerman said. He said couples who are older than 35, the success rate for IVF is about 31 percent. Cantor said the success with IVF is as low as 5 to 10 percent in women over 40.
Couples can check out the success rates for individual clinics at a database kept by the CDC.
When to seek medical help? That also depends on your age.
Dr. George Attia, with the University of Miami’s UHealth Fertility Center, said the older the patient is, the faster the recommendation.
If the woman is younger than 35, the couple should try on their own for a year, he recommends. If she is between 35 and 40, try for six months before consulting with a reproductive endocrinologist or infertility specialist.
If the patient is older than 40, a consultation is recommended after three months of unsuccessfully trying. Attia stressed that the infertility treatment recommended for a couple depends on what the underlying cause is. Attia said for patients who don’t have success with IVF with their own eggs and sperm, he will suggest they consider using a donor egg or sperm.
Another option is a “gestational carrier” — another woman who will carry the embryo to term.
Cantor said his best advice is for couples “to have their children at the earliest age that is economically and socially feasible.”
Cantor said success rates for all women who turn to IVF have improved with a freezing technique called “vitrification,” which prevents ice formation in the egg. It’s still considered experimental by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. It was first designed for women to preserve their eggs as they underwent chemotherapy and radiation for various cancers.
“This use has now been overtaken by what I call social reasons, such as women who for career or other reasons have not yet found a mate and whose biologic clock is ticking,” Cantor said. Most programs will not freeze eggs from women over 38. Others use it at a younger age as insurance to guard against age-related degeneration of their eggs.
In October, the Nessl’s daughter, Victoria Giselle, was born. Tina cried for 20 minutes after the Caesarean delivery.
Two fertilized embryos were implanted in Tina: one with seven cells, one with eight cells.
“The most interesting thing about IVF is you have seen this baby since she was cells,” she said. “Once you see her it’s the most amazing thing in the world.”
Can Wi-Fi cause infertility in men?
We spend a lot of time on our laptops and iPads. But can too much time on these gadgets cause fertility problems in men?
A recent study reveals the potential harmful effects of wireless Wi-Fi on laptops.
All that time connected to wireless Wi-Fi may be damaging men's sperm.
The study found electromagnetic radiation from the wireless internet can weaken and kill sperm.
But Dr. Karen Boyle, who specializes in male infertility at GBMC says the results are inconclusive.
“There's not enough data currently to support a concern for all of this passive radiation men may be getting from all of these devices that are sitting in proximity to their scrotum. The only thing we do know for sure is the possible heat related injuries."
That means men shouldn't work with their laptops on their laps for too long because the heat can damage sperm.
Dr. Boyle says, “Anything that can raise the inside temperature of the testicle is potentially bad for sperm. So things like hot tubs for instance, not good."
One way men can avoid harmful affects from their laptop is to use a cushion to keep the heat away.
"They should probably put a pillow or a lap pad on top of their lap not because of the wireless internet connection, more because of the potential of heat related injuries to their testicles."
Or you can just keep the laptop on a desk.
Homepage: http://www.abc2news.com/dpp/news/health/can-wi-fi-cause-infertility-in-men
Single hormone shot can replace daily doses in IVF
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Women preparing for fertility treatment typically get a series of daily, sometimes uncomfortable hormone shots to kick their ovaries into over-drive -- but a new review of previous studies suggests one long-acting shot may work just as well.
For in vitro fertilization, extra follicle-stimulating hormone, or FSH, is used to trigger the ovaries to grow and release multiple eggs, which are then fertilized outside the body and re-implanted in the uterus.
In an analysis of four past studies including over 2,300 women with infertility, researchers found the women were just as likely to get pregnant -- and didn't have any more complications -- when they got a single, long-acting dose of FSH rather than daily shots.
"Long-acting FSH (weekly injection) is a good and safe alternative to daily injections in the first week of ovarian stimulation for IVF," Dr. Jan Kremer from Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center in the Netherlands, who worked on the review, told Reuters Health in an email.
However, he said there is still limited data on how the weekly hormone shots work in certain groups of women, including older women with less of an ovarian response and those with fertility problems because of polycystic ovary syndrome, whose ovaries might over-respond.
The long-acting shot is used in Europe but not currently available in the United States, because it hasn't been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
The new findings are published in The Cochrane Library and include all high-quality data Kremer and his colleagues could find on the shots.
Out of 2,335 women included in the analysis, 987 got usual daily FSH shots for a week and 1,348 had one long-acting shot at a range of doses, along with the usual course of other IVF hormone injections.
In studies that used the lowest dose of the long-acting hormone -- between 60 and 120 micrograms -- fewer women in the one-shot group got pregnant than in the daily FSH comparison group.
However, at slightly higher doses (150 to 180 micrograms), pregnancy and birth rates didn't suffer: 343 out of every 1,000 women getting one long-acting shot had a baby, compared to 336 out of 1,000 in the daily-shot group.
And the long-acting shot didn't seem to come with a higher risk of miscarriage, having twins or developing a pregnancy-related complication, including swollen ovaries.
IVF typically runs for about $15,000 a cycle. Kremer said the cost of the two types of injections is "more or less comparable."
Dr. Samuel Pang, medical director at the Reproductive Science Center of New England in Lexington, Massachusetts, said the main advantage of the single shot is convenience. FSH shots are simple injections that women can give themselves, similar to insulin, he said, but the process can still be a hassle for some.
"In my mind, based on the studies that have been done and based on my own experience, it is a safe and effective product," Pang, who wasn't involved in the new review, told Reuters Health.
"The only caveat is it really needs to be used in well-selected patients."
Like Kremer, he cautioned against using the long-acting shot in women who are unlikely to respond to the hormone -- or those who may over-respond.
A week after getting the long-acting shot, many women still need a few daily injections of FSH before they're ready to have their eggs harvested, he added.
Pang worked on research that has been submitted to the FDA on the hormone shot, but says it's at least a year or two away from being available in the U.S.
"At this point in time, while it's very promising based on the studies that have been done and the experience in Europe, it's not anywhere near market here."
So-called post-marketing studies in Europe and Australia continue to suggest the drug is safe and works well, according to Dr. Arthur Leader, from the University of Ottawa and Ottawa Fertility Centre who also didn't participate in the review.
"It simplifies the whole process, makes it easier for the woman while not compromising her health or the health of the children that are born," he told Reuters Health.
Briefs or booze: What causes male infertility?
Experts argue over role of dad's health and underwear choice
A new study has stirred up controversy over male fertility and lifestyle changes.
This week the UK press has been buzzing over a new study that finds that for men with infertility issues, lifestyle changes such as cutting smoking and alcohol don't make much of a difference. But avoiding tight-fitting underwear does. On Wednesday, the National Health Service issued a report that it hopes will clear the air, claiming the study's findings were "overblown" for hype.
"Before dads-to-be ponder the boxers-vs-briefs debate over a beer, a cigarette and a burger, it should be noted that the research behind today's attention-grabbing headlines does not suggest that unhealthy living is not detrimental to sperm quality," reports NHS.
The study -- carried out by researchers from the University of Manchester, the University of Sheffield and the University of Alberta in Canada -- looked at a very select group of men with fertility problems, and the findings indicate "very little about the general population or the effects of these vices." The reports adds: "Also, the study has not explored the reasons the men were experiencing fertility problems."
In the findings, researchers found no association between sperm motility and smoking, alcohol, recreational drug use or being overweight, although wearing tight underwear was associated with reduced sperm motility.
The researchers recruited 2,249 men from 14 fertility clinics around the UK. The men had been trying for a baby with their partner for at least 12 months. They filled in detailed questionnaires about their background and lifestyle and provided semen samples, which were examined for healthy sperm, or sperm that swim at normal speeds.
Around 40 in 100 men had a low number of healthy sperm -- but these men were no more likely to smoke, drink, use drugs, or be overweight than men with normal sperm count. However, they were more likely to work in manual labor and less likely to wear boxer shorts. The study appears in the journal Human Reproduction.
Previous studies have suggested that wearing tighter underwear could slow sperm production by raising the temperature of the testicles. WebMD cites that other research points to the chemicals used in manufacturing, building, and other types of manual work as possibly playing a role in reducing men's sperm count.
Infertility and men
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Infertility is a problem for 15 percent of couples trying to have a baby. Problems with the man in the family can account for a large percent of the problem.
Mike, Danielle and 9 month old Ava are a lovely family. It'll be Mike's first Father's Day, and a special one. It took five years for the Mateos to conceive a child.
"It's going to be overwhelming especially after hearing that it might not have happened for us. It makes it all the more special," Mike said.
The Mateos spent four years and a lot of money. They went through many procedures without success. Enough to frustrate any couple.
"We just didn't want to hear that we couldn't have a child," Mike said.
So they went for a second opinion with Dr. Hyacinth brown. She found that Danielle had an immune system problem that was hampering pregnancy, and that Mike had a low sperm count.
"I think the misconception is that infertility is a female problem whereas 40 % is the result of a male problem, which is definitely real and definitely treatable," Dr. Brown said.
The diagnosis didn't bother mike.
"It was one of those factors and we had to have it addressed, but I'm not ashamed about it at all," he said.
Many times, that's not the case for guys.
"Fertility has a macho component and many men have a very hard time talking about it," Dr. Brown explained.
With the help of Dr. Brown and with only two in-vitro fertilization procedures, a sonogram showed the result. Ada was growing in Danielle's tummy. Danielle's gift to Mike for Father's Day.
"There are no words to describe it. No matter what I buy him this week, there's nothing that will top Ava," she said.
She's daddy's little girl.
"She definitely has ,me wrapped around her little finder that's for sure," he said.
Some of the problems that guys face are a low testosterone level in the blood, blocked passageways for sperm to exit the testicles, even problems with the pituitary gland. In almost half, there's no identifiable cause, but Mike's problem was pretty clear and treatable. Happy Father's Day, Mike, and to all you dads out there.
Homepage: http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/health&id=8703064
04.11.2011
Babies born via fertility treatment "may be smaller"
REUTERS - Babies conceived using fertility treatment may be somewhat smaller at birth than newborns conceived naturally, but whether that is due to the treatment or the underlying infertility is not fully clear, a U.S. study said.
Researchers looked at nearly 2,000 women and found that babies born to those with fertility problems weighed a little less -- about a third of a pound (453 grams) on average, according to results published in the journal Fertility & Sterility. They were also at somewhat greater risk of low birthweight, or under 5.5 pounds (2.49 kg).
"But it's been hard to tease out. Is it the infertility or the technology used to treat it?" said Amber Cooper, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Washington University in St. Louis, who led the study.
Studies have linked poorer foetal growth and lower birthweight to a higher risk of certain health problems in adulthood, including high blood pressure and heart disease.
Cooper's team looked at records for 461 women who came to their center with fertility problems over 10 years and ultimately had a baby. More than half underwent in vitro fertilization (IVF), while 106 were treated with fertility drugs and 104 eventually became pregnant on their own.
Those women were compared with 1,246 fertile women who gave birth during the same time period.
Overall, babies born to women with fertility problems were smaller. But there was no difference in average birthweight between women who underwent IVF and infertile women who eventually had a baby without medical help.
The biggest gap was seen in the group of women who'd been treated with fertility drugs, which spur ovulation. Their newborns were about a half-pound lighter compared with fertile mothers -- a gap that Cooper said was small, but still fairly significant.
On the other hand, the increased risk of low birthweight was mainly seen in IVF babies. Twelve percent of those mothers had a low-birthweight newborn, versus just under eight percent of mothers with no fertility problems.
"The findings suggest that a large portion of this may be related to the underlying infertility," Cooper said.
Fertility drugs are often used for women whose infertility is tied to problems with ovulation -- in the case of this study, nearly half of the fertility drug group.
Past research has also suggested that the longer a couple takes to conceive, the greater the odds of low birthweight or other complications. IVF may often be done only after fertility drugs or other less-exhaustive treatments fail.
Researchers were not able to pin lower birthweights to any specific causes of infertility, though, and Cooper said some effect from the technology could also not be ruled out.
Since close to two percent of U.S. births each year are now helped along with fertility treatment, it will be important to keep studying any effects of the treatment on long-term health, Cooper said.
Homepage: http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/11/01/idINIndia-60234520111101
19.10.2011
‘Multiple sexual partners is a factor in infertility’
Samuel Esele, a medical practitioner at the National Hospital, Abuja, says having several sexual partners could be a factor responsible for secondary infertility. Dr Esele said in Abuja that multiple sexual partners had a higher risk of contacting Sexual Transmitted Diseasaes (STDs) which could cause infertility. The gynaecologist, described secondary infertility as a condition where couples who had successfully been pregnant once and having difficulty in conceiving again after one to two years of unprotected regular sexual intercourse.
He said STDs were illnesses that could be transmitted between humans by means of sexual behaviour through vaginal intercourse, oral and anal sex. Esele said there were male factors that could affect secondary infertility, such as untreated gonorrhoea, a type of STD found in men, which causes sores on the external part of the penis and testicles. He said untreated gonorrhoea could physically damage a man’s ability to reproduce. Others factors included taking drugs such as marijuana and smoking which causes male infertility, decreases seminal fluid that could move sperm speedily into the vaginal. “Chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart diseases also caused infertility issues,” he said.
Esele also explained that for women, untreated STDs, could cause chlamydia disease, which could develop into Pelvic Inflammatory diseases (PID), causing blockage of both Fallopian tubes and making fertilisation impossible.
He said irregular menstrual cycle, tumours that grow as fibroid, blocking the mouth of the cervix, leading to miscarriages, abortions done by inexperience doctors could also lead to infertility. Esele described ectopic pregnancy as a situation where the baby grows inside the Fallopian tube instead of the uterus, adding, “the growing baby enlarges the tubes and damages the organ and causes bleeding.” On the age factor, he said, “healthy partners below 30 years having intercourse regularly had higher possibility of getting pregnant. “The peak of a woman’s fertility is in her 20s while women of 35 and 40 years and above have less advantage.” He however said that if a female partner had a child at her peak period, she may likely have difficulty conceiving in the later years of her age.
Esele explained that spouses, who experience frequent miscarriages, irregular and painful periods, unusual increase in vaginal discharge, decrease in sex drive and painful ejaculation, needed medical attention before conception can occur.
On treatment of STDs, Esele said treatment depends on the causes, but that drugs could be administered for the treatment of the STDs. “Ovulation induction can help regulate menstrual cycle, in-vitro fertilisation, where the eggs and sperms are donated to form a test tube baby,” he said.
Dr Samuel Esele warns that having multiple sexual partners could lead to STDs, which could cause infertility.
Homepage: http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Home/5745123-146/multiple_sexual_partners_is_a_factor.csp
12.10.2011
Childless couple shares story of pain, hope
Enduring a decade of heartbreak from failed infertility treatments, Patience and Chris Bertana of Antioch say they have the strength and passion needed to enter the often-difficult world of adoption.
Once hailed as miraculous, infertility treatments now seem routine.
The first “test tube baby” has grown up to be a 33-year-old woman with a preschooler of her own. Lesbians have babies all the time. Society seems bored by Octomom and her eight-baby spectacle. A 61-year-old woman gave birth to her own grandson. A 72-year-old grandmother delivered twins. A bearded transgender man has given birth twice. Science has given babies to millions of folks.
But not to Chris and Patience Bertana of Antioch, who have spent a decade and tens of thousands of dollars riding an emotional infertility roller coaster.
The couple met as kids in the marching band at Round Lake High School and started dating when Chris was a junior and Patience a freshman.
“We went to four homecomings together,” says Chris, now 38.
“And four proms,” adds Patience, 36. “And we have the big, ridiculous hair photographs to prove it.”
They married in 1996 and knew they wanted to have kids someday.
“Six months before we got married, he quit a very lucrative job to go work with kids,” says Patience, recalling Chris' jobs with suburban YMCAs. A special-education teacher at a Mundelein middle school, Patience says she loves working with children. Chris coaches the Blue Devils Swim Club and the varsity boys swim team at Warren Township High School in Gurnee.
At the dawn of the new millennium, Chris and Patience were having difficulties conceiving a child, as do more than one in 10 couples. They started infertility treatments and figured they'd have some funny stories to tell their kids someday.
“I was literally in the doctor's office giving my sample on Sept. 11, 2001,” Chris remembers. “I could hear through the speakers in the other room when the towers collapsed.”
Infertility and the treatments for it became more and more of their lives. Comparing themselves to gamblers, they'd view each small success as a sign to invest more money and time,
“We have a whole new respect for what a true miracle a pregnancy is,” Patience says. “There's more to it than just a bottle of red wine.”
As friends and relatives started families, Chris and Patience embarked on a grueling, decadelong process that built hopes and delivered heartache and pain.
They'd wake at 3:30 in the morning so they could leave their Antioch home, drive to an infertility clinic in Niles and be back in Mundelein in time for Patience's job at school.
“There'd be a line as if we were waiting for concert tickets,” says Patience, who remembers sitting on the floor in a “cattle call” of 30 women receiving treatments on a first-come, first-served basis. They went from clinic to clinic, from Niles to Naperville, before ending up in Colorado. In other aspects of their lives, hard work and following the rules led to success. Not so in their infertility treatments.
“Time and time again, I'd be the only one left who wasn't pregnant,” Patience says.
Chris remembers giving his wife shots of a drug that “was glowing like Kryptonite.” Patience would deliver smaller shots herself. Their lives were built around the schedule of infertility treatments. Chris couldn't bear to see a dad pushing a kid on a swing. Patience would send gifts but couldn't bring herself to attend baby showers. Infertility hung over wedding anniversaries, Mother's Days, Father's Days and family holidays. At a Halloween party, the couple sneaked into a bedroom to shoot up fertility drugs. They pulled over on the Edens after a concert to inject the drugs. They ran out to the parking lot during a friend's wedding for the necessary shots. All for naught.
“We were so angry at the world,” says Patience, who did manage to get pregnant sometimes, only to endure the extra heartbreak when those pregnancies proved not viable and ended in miscarriages, the most recent in May.
They realize now that their quest wasn't really to produce a baby.
“We want to be parents,” Chris says.
The couple (and their yellow lab “Romeo”) passed the rigorous screening to be approved by an adoption agency, and they now put the same passion into adopting a baby. Patience sells handmade paper greeting cards at www.virtue75.etsy.com to fund their adoption efforts. The couple's website — chrisandpatience.com — tells their story. They hired a lawyer and set up email at chrisandpatience@me.com to deal with adoption leads.
By telling their story, they hope not only to become parents, but also to make life a little easier for other couples struggling with infertility, they say.
“Maybe it's the teacher in me, but I want to educate people about being sensitive, to educate people that we aren't all crazy baby-stealers or Angelina Jolie or Octomom,” Patience says. “We are just normal people who want to raise kids. We're very excited about adoption.”
03.10.2011
IVF proven unnecessary for many infertile couples
CAMBRIDGE, United Kingdom, Sep 23, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- A new study published in European Obstetrics & Gynaecology shows that the DuoFertility monitor and service used for six months gives the same chance of pregnancy as a cycle of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) for many infertile couples. This study demonstrates that there is a viable non-invasive, drug-free alternative to IVF for thousands of couples, with the potential to save them (and the NHS) millions of pounds each year.
The paper is the first peer-reviewed publication of clinical pregnancy rates using the new DuoFertility product and service. The lead author, Dr. Oriane Chausiaux said "The results show that for couples suffering from unexplained infertility as well as a variety of other factors, twelve months using DuoFertility yields a higher clinical pregnancy rate than a cycle of IVF." For many couples, not only is IVF invasive for the woman and demeaning for the man, it is a procedure needlessly costing the NHS, or the couple themselves, thousands of pounds. A typical cycle of IVF in the private sector costs all up GBP 7,000. By comparison the DuoFertility program offers a year of monitoring and support for GBP 500 - and it comes with a 12-month money-back pregnancy guarantee.
The publication coincides with the 200th reported pregnancy by users of DuoFertility, which was celebrated at the weekend with a party hosted by medical personality Dr. Miriam Stoppard. Dr. Stoppard, addressing the assembled parents and parents-to-be, said, "[It is] the first product or service that I have seen in this arena which truly wraps around all of the needs of the couple, from the medical monitoring, to the review of this data by experts, and then the all-important emotional support that is provided."..."The results of the scientific studies on pregnancy rate are very encouraging, but do need to be followed up with live birth rates, and I look forward to seeing further research."
The study authors caution that although non-invasive and drug-free, DuoFertility is not suitable for all couples. Dr. Husheer, inventor of DuoFertility explained, "Although DuoFertility is suitable for around 80% of infertile couples, there are some couples with medically identified conditions that prevent natural conception, such as a woman with two blocked fallopian tubes. In these cases IVF is absolutely the right thing to do, enabling conception where it was previously a physical impossibility."
Homepage: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ivf-proven-unnecessary-for-many-infertile-couples-2011-09-23
Infertility rate high in IT sector
HYDERABAD: Medical case studies in urban areas of the country are pointing to the fact that infertility is becoming a health challenge in the country. Out of around 250 million individuals estimated to be attempting parenthood at any given time, 13 to 19 million couples are likely to be infertile. Close study of national census revealed that infertility has risen by 50 percent in the country.
Taking a serious look at the increasing number of software professionals who seek help, out of 100 couples, at least 15 per cent need treatment for infertility. Of these, 40 per cent is due to male infertility. However, the term may also refer to the state of a woman who is unable to carry a pregnancy for a full term. There is also something called unexplained infertility, where doctors fail to come up with a medical explanation for the couple’s inability to conceive.
Factors
The infertility rate is increasing as a result of increased stress, competitive work environment, hectic and fast paced lives,� imbalanced and erratic lifestyles, obesity, irregular body cycles, urbanisation, environmental toxins, delayed marriage, prolonged family planning and priority to career advancement over commencing family, among others, says Dr H Narmada Devi, gynaecological endoscopic surgeon and fertility specialist at Narmada Fertility Center.
Causes
Some common causes of infertility in men are irregular sperm production, hampered sperm delivery due to either erectile dysfunction or early ejaculation, presence of medical conditions such as obesity that may hamper sperm production, certain infections such as Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and lifestyle conditions such as diet imbalance, addiction to smoking or alcoholism, sedentary existence, or mental and emotional stress, all of which contribute to poor sperm count. Most of the time, men who work on a laptop at home place it on their lap and work. Due to the heat it produces for a prolonged time and radiation generated, it adversely affects the production of the sperms. “High pressure information technology jobs, erratic work and sleeping schedules, long hours of working, working in nights sleeping during the days adversely affect hormones is the another reason why high-pressure info-tech world is taking a toll of the fertility of its professionals,” says Dr Narmada.
In women, hectic lifestyle and job stress contribute to conception problems. A very common cause is poly-cystic ovary disease (PCOD), a condition characterized by excess production of hormones and lack of ovulation. There is also delayed marriage and deferred childbirth among couples; by the time the new-age, career-oriented urban Indian woman is ready to have a child, her biological clock has already slowed down, and she needs the help of artificial and assisted technology for childbirth.
26.09.2011
Greater need for awareness on male infertility
CHENNAI: It is not always the women who should be blamed for not being able to conceive a child, for male infertility contributes 40 per cent towards it, asserts Dr Kavitha Gautham, Director, Bloom Fertility Centre.
Speaking on the sidelines of a fertility screening camp at the Bloom Fertility Centre on Sunday, Dr Kavitha said, “Women are mostly blamed by the husbands, relatives and the� society for not being able to conceive a child. Male infertility contributes 40 per cent towards it. Men have great difficulty in admitting their problems and getting treatment compared to women.”
Talking about male infertility, she said low sperm count accounts for 40-50 per cent of male infertility followed by erectile dysfunction.
Pointing out the reasons for the rise in male infertility in the recent past, she said, “Stress at work, complete lack of work-life balance, sedentary lifestyle, excessive caffeine intake, smoking and drinking are the� major contributors.”
Dr Kavitha also said, “Discussing male infertility is still a taboo. Men hardly discuss their problems. They are not very comfortable talking about it. And also there is very poor level of awareness among the couples and families about male infertility. There is a huge need for awareness and psychological counselling for people to come forward with their issues to the fertility specialist, so that their problems could be addressed and resolved.”
Medical fraternity should come forward to conduct more sensitisation programmes for the GPs (General Practitioners) to refer people to the specialist so that the interventions can start soon without wasting time.
She also had a word of advice for the couples: “Spouses have to try and find free time together every day. Taking holidays together at least once in six months is very healthy. Keeping yourself physically fit with regular exercise and yoga is very good� for de-stressing and relaxation, which will go a long way in improving sexual health.”
In the past two days, about 70 couples were screened and given counselling and further treatment plan.
Homepage: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/greater-need-for-awareness-on-male-infertility/187476-60-120.html
07.09.2011
1.5 million embryos killed through IVF since 1991 in Britain
LONDON, U.K., July 27, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Over one and a half million embryonic children have been killed in Britain through IVF procedures since 1991, according to new data from the country’s Department of Health.
The figures, revealed by Britain’s Health Minister Lord Howe in response to a request from Lord Alton, show that over 30 embryos are created for every live birth through IVF.
Doctors have created more than 3.1 million human embryos since Britain passed its Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act in 1991, resulting in only 94,090 successful births. Of the remainder, 1,455,832 embryos have been discarded, 101,605 were destroyed through research, and 764,311 were frozen.
“We are creating and destroying human embryos on an industrial scale,” said Lord Alton, according to the Daily Mail.
He criticized the fact that the government has spent so much money on IVF when there are 600 abortions in the country every day and only 70 babies offered for adoption every year.
Pro-life advocates have heavily criticized IVF, in large part because of the massive death toll that it entails. As the figures reveal, in each round numerous children are conceived to improve the chances of implantation, but those remaining unused are simply “discarded” or frozen.
Critics also argue that the procedure reduces the newly-formed human life to the status of a commodity, and say that the child is meant to be conceived through the mutual love of husband and wife in the conjugal act.
Additionally, research has shown that babies born from IVF have a much higher chance of birth defects, including heart valve defects, cleft lip and palate, and digestive system abnormalities. In 2009, the British government’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority warned that IVF babies have a 30% higher risk of genetic abnormality.
07.09.2011
Pro-Life Concerns About IVF Include Abortion, Exploitation
In vitro fertilization (IVF) isn’t a topic that often crops up in pro-life circles, but I think it’s important to highlight this as an issue that affects the movement directly and has a profound impact on the way we view the dignity and value of every human life, both in and outside the womb.
The infertility industry in the United States has been a booming industry for decades, including the multi-billion dollar business of egg donation. Young girls are showered with provocative ads promising big checks and the satisfaction of helping others who aren’t able create a family by simply donating her eggs. But the lesser-publicized side of this seemingly selfless act include the deception behind coercing young donors for their eggs, exposing them to the sometimes lifelong damaging methods of extracting them, hormone overdoses, unsafe medical practices, lack of informing women of health risks attached to donating, and, all to often, no follow-up care at all. I urge anyone interested in learning more about the risks and hazards of egg donation to check out Eggsploitation, a documentary that exposes the industry’s dirty little secret.
Similar to egg donation, IVF comes with its own unique set of risks. Many people have replaced the truth about IVF’s damaging and destructive processes with the widely-accepted notion that conceiving via IVF helps couples with fertility problems, promotes the growth and importance of a family unit, and finally allows struggling parents to enjoy the blessing of a child or children.
And it can do all those things.
BUT it doesn’t come without a cost. And I don’t just mean its hefty $5,000 – $25,000 price tag.
Here are some talking points on this controversial issue that tend to slip through the cracks:
- 1. IVF promotes the discarding of “extra” human embryos – or developing humans, in layman’s terms.
IVF usually entails the creation of multiple human embryos to ensure a greater chance of successful implantation. These human embryos are then screened for genetic disorders, handicaps and sometimes even a particular gender. The “undesirable” embryos are discarded. Normally, an IVF practitioner transfers around four of the selected embryos into a woman’s uterus. If more than one (or two) successfully implant, a physician will selectively abort (kill) the remaining embryos (Nadya “Octomom” Suleman refused this “embryonic discarding”, resulting in her delivering octuplets). This selective mentality leads to the death of little humans based on their gender, physical and mental handicaps, and how many exist simultaneously. This segues into the second point:
- 2. IVF fosters the idea that we can have whatever we want, whenever we want, however we want it.
A LifeSiteNews.com article from June highlights the life of Anthony Caruso, a former IVF practitioner who was horrified when he realized that his efforts to help women struggling with infertility was actually counterintuitive to the design of marriage and the view of children. Caruso points out that IVF works against the self-sacrificial nature of a marriage and a family, putting an IVF practitioner and, ultimately, a conceiving couple in control of something meant to have a natural design. This is echoed in a New York Times cover story about a woman named “Jenny” who aborts one of her twins conceived after IVF. “Had the pregnancy occurred naturally, she said, ‘I wouldn’t have reduced this pregnancy, because you feel like if there’s a natural order, then you don’t want to disturb it.’ Nevertheless, ‘The pregnancy was all so consumerish to begin with, and this became yet another thing we could control.’”
Both points illustrate the statistic that:
- 3. IVF often results in the conception of multiples, which in turn results in selective abortions after implantation, as well as a dangerous situation for both mother and children when the number of children who implant is unnaturally high.
I referenced the “Octomom” above, who refused to allow her IVF practitioner to discard of “extra” fertilized embryos selectively. Kate Gosselin of Jon and Kate Plus 8 fame had a similar situation, and, thankfully, both mothers refused to kill any of their children, thus bearing octuplets and sextuplets, respectively. Suleman and Gosselin by no means followed the status quo when it came to multiple implantations resulting in IFV. All too often, the unchosen embryos are destroyed, thrown out, or washed down the sink. Additionally, a mother pregnant with multiple children is naturally put in the category of high-risk pregnancy. Therefore, even if a pro-life woman refusing selective abortion carries all IVF-created children, this unnaturally creates a dangerous situation for herself and her babies.
- 4. IVF has proven to lead to an array of physical and mental birth defects.
Illinois Right to Life released a story on IVF, noting a study done by the New England Medical Journal which showed evidence that babies conceived by IVF have a 1 in 10 risk of birth defects – twice the rate of babies born naturally – including holes in their hearts, the development of only one kidney, brain abnormalities, and cleft lips and palettes. Studies by researchers at Johns Hopkins and Washington University discovered that children conceived from IVF have a six-fold increase in risk of Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, which causes malformations and cancer. This fact alone should cause us to question the morality of IVF.
- 5. Prepping for IVF requires significant alterations to hormone levels, which can lead to or increase the risk of health problems.
Many women need to undergo hormone therapy before and during IVF to prepare their bodies to accept the implanted embryo. Estrogen levels are usually boosted during IVF (as well as natural pregnancies) to strengthen the endometrial wall of the uterus. There are a slew of chemical-related side effects that come with a number of the hormone therapies used, but simply altering hormone levels alone can come with consequences. Having high levels of estrogen can cause irregular periods, depression, uterine fibroids, osteoporosis, memory loss, and infections.
With all this in mind, the pro-life movement does not want to stamp out any hope for couples struggling to conceive. As always, all people – born or pre-born – deserve respect, dignity and love.
And this is an issue that hits close to home for me. My oldest son, Gunner was born with cystic fibrosis and will battle a number of health problems his whole life. 97% of men with CF are infertile, and many of them were born without fully developed reproductive systems. Gunner’s infertility will affect the lives of himself, his future wife and whatever grandchildren I may be blessed with in the future forever. Many people with CF choose IVF to combat low fertility rates and start a family, but it can’t be accepted as a band-aid for the natural design of our lives.
One major breakthrough that exists in monitoring and maintaining women’s reproductive health isNaProTECHNOLOGY (Natural Procreative Technology), a medical and surgical alternative that has been proven effective to treat infertility, ovarian cysts, polycystic ovarian disease, repetitive miscarriage, and hormonal imbalances among other health complications. NaProTECHNOLOGY monitors women’s hormonal events during the menstrual cycle and identifies when gynecological systems operate abnormally, identifying the problems which may be able to be corrected.
State-of-the-art advancements like this along with education and resources will go a long way in maintaining reproductive health in women and protecting the rights of the preborn. And let’s not forgot the beautiful, loving and moral option of adoption. Both NaProTECHNOLOGY and adoption provide ethical alternatives to the dangers and ethical problems with IVF.
Homepage: http://www.lifenews.com/2011/09/06/pro-life-concerns-about-ivf-include-abortion-exploitation/
31.08.2011Julie Bowen: I Wanted One Baby – Not Two!
After welcoming son Oliver, now 4, with husbandScott Phillips, Julie Bowen always knew she wanted more kids. However, she wasn’t expecting — or prepared for — a double dose of babies!
“I did not want twins as a second go-around. I should have been much more cautious. I should have had … half sex?” the Modern Family star, 42,jokes in the September issue of More.
When the news broke that the actress was pregnant with twin boys, speculation grew that Bowen had turned to in vitro fertilization to expand her family. That assumption, she explains, couldn’t be further from the truth.
“Everybody asked me, ‘How many did you put in?’ and I’d be like, ‘Just one penis. Thanks!’” she says.
But despite her happiness at expanding her then family of three — which now includes 2-year-old twins John and Gus – Bowen wasn’t willing to mask the looming challenges of motherhood.
“At the time I only had one kid, but with two on the way I was always hearing talk about golden mystical baby things and precious time,” she recalls. “And I was like, ‘Who the f— are you talking to?!’ If you could see me naked, you would weep. Children are like crazy, drunken small people in your house.”
Now juggling both motherhood and her successful sitcom, Bowen admits to needing help during the week — but insists her household be nanny-free on the weekends.
“I have three kids. I should know how to take care of them,” she reasons, laughing that her decision to be completely hands-on has changed her Monday morning mindset.
“We’d be like, ‘Here comes Saturday. It’s going to be a long-ass weekend,’” she shares. “All we did was poop patrol for 48 hours. When Monday would come, we’d be like, ‘Thank God.’”
Joking aside, Bowen is proud of her accomplishments as a mother-of-three and insists she often even surprises herself when it comes to her commitment to her children.
“I’m constantly shocked that I am successfully taking care of this family and that I’m capable of putting their needs in front of mine,” she reveals. “I don’t think I could have done it in my twenties.”
22.08.2011
A baby at any cost?
Colleen Aitken and her husband Roland Guignard are seen at their home in St. Thomas, Ontario where Collleen is still recovering following emergency surgery after undergoing 28 intra-uterine insemination treatments in an attempt to have a child. The unregulated procedures caused such damage that doctors had to remove her ovaries.
In the six years she was treated at a private fertility clinic, Colleen Aitken had her husband’s specially prepared sperm inserted directly in her uterus on more than 20 occasions, with powerful drugs administered each time to stimulate her ovaries. She gave birth twice, but says the pregnancies the couple so fervently wanted came at a steep cost.
The number of so-called “intra-uterine insemination” (IUI) treatments and the associated drug use well exceeded what many fertility experts describe as the norm in the field and, according to doctors who ended up helping her later, caused dangerous internal damage.
Ms. Aitken eventually received emergency surgery to remove her ovaries and staunch internal bleeding, leaving the resident of St. Thomas, Ont., unable to conceive, on hormone-replacement therapy and, according to Ms. Aitken, forced to abandon her public-health nurse job because of ongoing pain and other symptoms.
“There is just so much anger,” she said of her ordeal. “I wish I could go and take back what happened to me. … It has had a tremendous impact on my life.”
The College of Physicians and Surgeons, Ontario’s medical regulator, is investigating her complaints. The Southern Ontario Fertility Technologies (SOFT) clinic where Ms. Aitken was treated said it could not comment on her case. Dr. James Martin, the clinic’s director, cautioned, however, to be careful with his patient’s version of events.
“This person had two babies, obviously her treatment was successful,” he said. “I really don’t have any evidence as a doctor that her ovaries were damaged.”
Nevertheless, Ms. Aitken’s case forms part of a medical practice that is causing growing concern in the fertility-treatment world. IUI — commonly known as artificial insemination — is being practised widely, with little regulation and largely under the radar by a broad array of doctors and nurses, often with little control over what sort of pregnancy results, critics say.
The treatment is likely a major cause of the boom in multiple births that has burdened the health care system and parents with a growing number of tiny babies often suffering serious health problems, they charge. Until now, the debate over the epidemic of multiples has centred almost exclusively on the more technologically dazzling in vitro fertilization (IVF) — where eggs and sperm are combined in a petri dish to produce an embryo — with repeated calls to restrict the number of artificially-created embryos that can be inserted in would-be mothers, producing so-called test-tube babies. When just one embryo is “transferred,” the chances of getting pregnant with multiples are reduced to almost nil.
Yet some physicians say IUI may be triggering even more twins, triplets and other multiples, and note that, unlike in IVF, it is extremely hard to limit the possibility of multiple births and the complications that can ensue.
“IUI is unfortunately the elephant in the room,” said Dr. John McNaught of the London Health Sciences Centre fertility clinic, who once worked with Dr. Martin. “Twenty-two thousand of these procedures are done on the public dollar [in Ontario] every year, and what registry tracks the complications resulting from them? What credentialling exists for the people who do these procedures?”
There is also evidence that some clinics administer many more treatments than are likely to be effective, with Ontario covering the whole cost under medicare and other provinces paying for some. The much more pricey IVF, on the other hand, is funded only in Quebec, under a new program that requires patients to receive just one test-tube-fertilized embryo at a time.
Demand for all types of fertility treatment is on the rise these days. Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society statistics show the number of in vitro procedures has jumped by more than 50% to 10,300 a year in the last six years, with about 29% of pregnancies resulting in multiples. The number of multiple births in Canada surged 45% to almost 12,000 between 1991 and 2008, according to Statistics Canada, even as the number of singletons dropped. Often born early and at a low weight, twins, triplets and above pose a much greater risk of delivery complications and birth defects. Some neo-natal intensive-care units are so crowded with complex cases, high-risk pregnancies often have to be transferred to other cities or even to the U.S.
The issue has put intense focus on IVF, with critics complaining about the common practice of inserting two or more embryos in patients, making multiples more likely.
IUI, meanwhile, has drawn little attention. Fertility doctors say anecdotal evidence points to it being widely used, though there is no national surveillance system, collection of statistics or standards that its practitioners must follow. About 23,000 IUI cycles are performed a year in Ontario alone — over twice the number of IVFs nation-wide — with as many as 29% of the resulting pregnancies being multiples, according to the 2009 report of an Ontario expert panel. That could translate into hundreds, if not thousands, of babies born every year as part of twins or high-order multiples, in just one province.
“We think there’s probably more of an issue with multiple birth in IUI than in IVF,” said Dr. Carl Laskin, president of the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society, the specialty association. “You’re putting sperm right into the uterus and you can’t control what’s going to fertilize and what isn’t.”
For doctors who do not perform in vitro — which requires investment in sophisticated and expensive laboratories — and patients who cannot afford it, though, IUI can be an appealing option.
“It gets done by family docs in some cases, in some cases it’s done by generalist obstetrician-gynecologists who are not involved in a fertility clinic,” said Roger Pierson, an infertility expert at the University of Saskatchewan. “It’s kind of grown like Topsy.”
Most fertility experts interviewed recently said the accepted norm is to try artificial insemination up to three, or at most six, times, after which point the chances of getting the patient pregnant falls precipitously, making the treatment hard to justify medically and financially. At least one specialist, however, argues that such limits can unjustifiably curb choices for patients unable to foot the hefty bill — over $5,000 — for IVF.
Statistics published online by Dr. Martin’s SOFT clinic in London showed that its patients received more than six IUI treatments on 3,741 occasions between 2001 and Jan. 2010. Pregnancy resulted in 7% of those cases, compared to 19% after just one procedure.
The clinic is “pretty cautious” about doing more than six IUI treatments; if governments funded in vitro fertilization, many would be moved on to that treatment, said Dr. Martin. As it stands now, though, that is sometimes not an option financially, and the 7% pregnancy rate after multiple IUI treatments is still better than the less than 1% chance of having a baby for those same infertile couples with no medical help at all, he said.
“Try to tell somebody who really desperately wants pregnancy that there’s no other option for them: ‘Just go home and don’t get pregnant,’ ” said Dr. Martin. “It’s like saying, ‘Well, your heart is bad but we don’t really want to do a heart transplant, so just go home and die.’ ”
What is more, he said, just 13 sets of triplets and 159 sets of twins have been born in over 4,000 pregnancies, using various types of treatment, at the SOFT clinic.
Nevertheless, the fertility society is now developing stringent guidelines for IUI — as well as other, higher-profile treatments — that it hopes will be adopted by the provinces as regulations, said Dr. Laskin.
Ms. Aitken and her husband sought fertility treatment because of her ovulation difficulties and his reduced sperm count. She underwent 10 “cycles” of IUI before giving birth finally in October 2003. She went back again, had three more full cycles and one cancelled one where she just got the drugs, and then another baby. In trying to have a third child, she submitted to a further 11 IUI and three IVF treatments. By this time, however, the use of potent drugs to boost ovulation — and produce more eggs — for each insemination had taken a serious toll, she and some experts maintain. An ultrasound showed she had several large ovarian cysts, while her levels of the hormone estradiol were sky-high, according to a surgical report, potentially raising the risk of stroke.
The report says emergency surgery found the adnexa — ovaries, fallopian tubes and surrounding tissue — were bleeding, very large and “grossly abnormal,” prompting surgeons to remove Ms. Aitken’s ovaries. Reports by pathologists at two London-area hospitals blamed the harm on ovulation drugs. Dr. Martin has since said he advised her often against undergoing repeated, back-to-back treatments, although he still does not believe the surgery was necessary or that the drugs harmed his patient’s ovaries.
Ms. Aitken maintains the physician only once ever suggested she take a break between procedures, while insisting the treatments posed little health risk, reassurances she admits she was willing to accept in her deep wish to build a family.
“Emotionally, financially, socially, physically and mentally, you are so vulnerable,” she said. “Whatever hope the doctor provides to you, you just cling on to that and pray that you get pregnant.”
17.08.2011
No evidence aspirin boosts IVF
success: study
(Reuters Health) - Women undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) are often told that a daily aspirin will help boost the odds of success. But a new research review found no evidence the tactic works.
Combining the results of 13 international studies, researchers found that a low daily dose of aspirin had no clear effect on IVF pregnancy or birth rates.
Three of the studies looked at birth rates. Of 525 women who used aspirin during their IVF treatment cycle, 108 gave birth.
But the odds of success were similar among women not given aspirin: of those 528 women, 119 gave birth.
"Couples undergoing IVF often feel so desperate that they are prepared to try anything that may improve their chances of conceiving," said lead researcher Dr. Charalambos Siristatidis, of the University of Athens inGreece, in a written statement.
"But given the current evidence," he said, "there is still no basis to recommend that women take aspirin to help them become pregnant."
The researchers reported their findings in the Cochrane Library, which is published by the Cochrane Collaboration, an international research organization that evaluates medical evidence.
In theory, aspirin could improve IVF success by boosting blood flow to the ovaries and uterus. It might also help by preventing blood clots in the vessels of the placenta, which helps nourish the baby before it's born. But studies have come to mixed conclusions.
There is a small minority of women who have repeat miscarriages because of problems with blood clotting, said Dr. Roger Lobo, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Columbia University in New York who was not involved in the review.
If a woman undergoing IVF has blood-clotting issues, then aspirin or other blood-thinners may help, said Lobo, who is also president of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine.
But for most women having IVF, he told Reuters Health, "it's really the embryo quality that's the major factor. So I'm not surprised that aspirin shows no benefit overall."
The studies in the review included a total of 2,653 women undergoing IVF. The trials were randomized, meaning roughly half the women were randomly assigned to take 80 to 100 milligrams of aspirin per day, and the other half were assigned to a no-aspirin "control" group. Randomized controlled trials are considered the most reliable type of study.
In most studies, women started taking aspirin at the beginning of the IVF process. The duration of the treatment varied from study to study.
One of the larger studies that looked only at pregnancy rates did suggest a benefit, the researchers note. Of 300 women, the pregnancy rate among aspirin users was 45 percent, versus 28 percent of women not on aspirin.
But when the researchers combined the results of different studies, they found no overall effect on women's pregnancy or birth rates, or on their risk of miscarriage.
Like Siristatidis, Lobo too noted that many couples undergoing infertility treatment are desperate to try anything that could raise their chances of having a baby, even in theory. But he stressed that even low-dose aspirin can have risks, including gastrointestinal bleeding.
"Based on the evidence, there really appears to be no benefit from using aspirin," Lobo said. "And if you add to that the fact that there are risks, it probably shouldn't be done."
08.08.2011
Free Online Sperm Donors Risks Revealed
Some donors purport to be interested in helping infertile couples, single women, and lesbians start a family, but recipients have no way of knowing if the donor is a seed-spreading egomaniac, altruistic nice guy, or worst of all part of a fly-by-night online scam.
“There have been several sites popping up on the Internet giving away free sperm,” Dr. Susan Trout, a fertility physician at Colorado Reproductive Endocrinology said. “The problem is that it isn’t always tested, as per FDA regulations, to make sure the donor doesn’t have HIV, hepatitis, gonorrhea, syphilis, or other diseases.”
While the Food and Drug Administration regulates the terms under which free sperm can be obtained, there has been no official legal crackdown on free sperm donors because technically- it’s not illegal. And while the FDA has established standards for the testing of sperm and the eligibility of donors, not all websites may be adhering to the law.
Dr. Betsy Cairo at CryoGam Colorado, a Loveland, Colorado based laboratory which offers sperm banking, donor sperm, and embryo and oocyte storage wants patients to be educated on the risks.
“There was a situation in California where a man was selling sperm off the Internet and was shut down,” Cairo said. “Sperm is a transplantable tissue, regulated by the FDA, so women need to understand that they can be at risk for sexually transmitted infections.”
In 2005, the FDA established standards for sperm donation “to create a unified registration and listing system for establishments that manufacture human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products and to establish donor-eligibility, current good tissue practice, and other procedures to prevent the introduction, transmission, and spread of communicable diseases.”
But some donors are slipping through the cracks and may not be complying.
In addition to possibly not being screened for disease, some sperm donors on free sites may not even sign away their consensual rights to parenthood. The recipient of the sperm may not even know that they are at risk of a paternity lawsuit.
“I had a patient myself who almost fell victim to one of these guys,” Trout adds. “Luckily, she asked me about it first.”
Sperm donors who may have been rejected by credible sperm banks could instead choose to become donors on the so-called “grey market” because they did not pass the rigorous psychological and physical standards upheld by legitimate fertility clinics.
Because of this, consumers cannot be sure if they are getting safe sperm unless they deal with a reputable fertility practice.
02.08.2011
Risks and complications of IVF treatment
What are the possible complications of IVF treatment?
IVF is basically a safe procedure. However, as with any surgical procedure, a few patients will experience side effects and complications. The most common complications associated with IVF treatment are thefailure of treatment, problems experienced as a consequence of ovarian stimulation, the risk of multiple pregnancy, the risks associated with egg collection and the possibility of ectopic pregnancy.
A recent study from the Netherlands showed that overall mortality in IVF pregnancies was higher than the maternal mortality rate in the general population (42 mothers' deaths per 100,000 IVF pregnancies compared to 6 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies overall).
How often these problems occur, how they can be prevented, and how dangerous they are, will be discussed in the following pages.
28.07.2011
1.5 million embryos killed through IVF since 1991 in Britain
LONDON, U.K., July 27, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Over one and a half million embryonic children have been killed in Britain through IVF procedures since 1991, according to new data from the country’s Department of Health.
The figures, revealed by Britain’s Health Minister Lord Howe in response to a request from Lord Alton, show that over 30 embryos are created for every live birth through IVF.
Doctors have created more than 3.1 million human embryos since Britain passed its Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act in 1991, resulting in only 94,090 successful births. Of the remainder, 1,455,832 embryos have been discarded, 101,605 were destroyed through research, and 764,311 were frozen.
“We are creating and destroying human embryos on an industrial scale,” said Lord Alton, according to the Daily Mail.
He criticized the fact that the government has spent so much money on IVF when there are 600 abortions in the country every day and only 70 babies offered for adoption every year.
Pro-life advocates have heavily criticized IVF, in large part because of the massive death toll that it entails. As the figures reveal, in each round numerous children are conceived to improve the chances of implantation, but those remaining unused are simply “discarded” or frozen.
Critics also argue that the procedure reduces the newly-formed human life to the status of a commodity, and say that the child is meant to be conceived through the mutual love of husband and wife in the conjugal act.
Additionally, research has shown that babies born from IVF have a much higher chance of birth defects, including heart valve defects, cleft lip and palate, and digestive system abnormalities. In 2009, the British government’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority warned that IVF babies have a 30% higher risk of genetic abnormality.
25.07.2011
My Fertility Crisis
We hear about fertility treatments when they're successful. But for millions of women, they mean regret, heartbreak, shame and silence.
Usually it's only the people who come out beaming on the other side, with a baby on one hip, who speak up about in vitro fertilization. We never hear from those whom IVF has failed—it's too crushing to talk about. We don't hear from men and women in the middle of treatment, either. Our culture doesn't seem to know how to deal with people before we've figured out if they're successful or not. People like me.
In November 2008, I had my first IVF workup. In 2009, I had a laparoscopy, two egg retrievals and a canceled cycle. In 2010, three retrievals, two embryo transfers and a hysteroscopy. In 2011, two retrievals, and a transfer to come. That's eight times under general anesthesia in two and a half years.
What next? Either a baby, or not.
* * *
For the IVF drugs to have a chance of working, I have to administer them at the same time each day. I've shot up furtively in my office, in restaurants and in my car. It makes me feel like a badly behaved chauffeur. More than two years into IVF treatments, I've grown accustomed to this stealth. It's become a fact of my life.
Here's another fact: I'm a single woman in my early 40s. The odds of getting pregnant are conspicuously slim. For a woman my age, according to the American Pregnancy Association, the chance of having a baby via IVF is between 6% and 10%. That number decreases with every failed attempt, so now my odds are even lower.
![[ivfchart]](https://si.wsj.net/public/resources/images/RV-AD683A_ivfch_NS_20110722201802.jpg)
In the United States, infertility affects about 12% of the reproductive-age population. This includes 7.3 million women and their partners, or one in every seven or eight couples in the country. A third of infertility cases are related to the male, a third to the female, and another third to both partners (or unexplained). In any given month, with a man whose parts are in order, a healthy woman's chance of getting pregnant naturally is 20% to 25% if she's in her 20s, 10% to 15% in her 30s, and 5% in her 40s. Really, it's miraculous at any age.
Some four million babies have been born thanks to IVF since the first "test tube baby" was born on July 25, 1978. Many more have not. The overall IVF success rate sits at around 30% today.
The profession is advancing, but cases are getting trickier. I've been going to the Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine, and the mean age of women walking through the door there has increased from 32 to 39 in the past two decades. That's a great leap in the wrong direction.
The clinic's founder and medical director, William Schoolcraft, says that about 65% of the female infertility he sees now is due primarily to the age of the eggs, which usually (though not always) correlates with the age of the woman. Freezing eggs (successful just 10% of the time a few years ago, 80% of the time now) and egg donation have revolutionized the business of infertility. But they can't solve everything.
When we were young, we were taught again and again that we shouldn't get pregnant. Now we can't.
I'm not that woman from the Roy Lichtenstein print who forgot to have children. I was never so wrapped up in my career that I didn't think about starting a family. But I'm not over 40 and childless for no reason. I was diagnosed with endometriosis, a condition that makes it hard, sometimes impossible, to conceive. I gave too much time to the wrong men. I smoked in my 20s. I preferred red wine to sparkling water. I ate too much milk chocolate. I liked limericks. I know all the wrong that I've done.
and 30 hormone patches over eight weeks. Last year, she
spent nearly $70,000 on fertility treatments and related expenses
I was 39 when I started treatment; I am 42 now. And still I feel lucky. Unlike many infertile people, I have the resources, though they're not endless, to keep at it. Choosing to have children is not like choosing a pair of shoes. Most people know how serious a decision it is. But women who rely on reproductive medicine are still often seen as privileged procrastinators. Our supposedly arrogant delay—we'll get around to having children when we're good and ready—has put us in a pickle, and now we're buying our way out.
That may be true for some. But in my case, there's never been a time when I was "not ready" for children. At 6, I loved my Baby Alive doll like a real child and wanted to be a "baby nurse" when I grew up. By 26, not much had changed. I was in business school but could have cared less about derivatives class. I was too busy dating and taking care of my digital egg, the Tamagotchi. Telling toys.
But here's the guilty glitch: In my early 30s, I took the morning-after pill. My then-boyfriend, the hunky one, said with a sweet smile that he wouldn't mind a baby. I wish I had listened, really listened, to him. But I was still piecing myself back together after a bruising former relationship and broken engagement, and something stopped me from saying the truth: I wouldn't mind a baby, either.
On a walk by the sea one blustery day, a friend told me he'd never hire a hooker. "It's efficient," he said, "but there's something so sad about not being able to get it for free." Picking a sperm donor feels like that, at least at first. For months before I started IVF, I sat down at my computer, logged on to a sperm bank and stood up again.
I've never wanted to pick a man just so I could have children. I craved something less logical. My first love was the man who drove all night in the snow to New York City. He called me from the corner of 93rd Street and Third Avenue and said nothing except, "Look out your window." There he was, shivering at the pay phone, gorgeously spontaneous. I miss pay phones.
And I believe in soul mates. So how did I end up cruising a cryobank? Is this the punishment for romanticism: having to do the least romantic thing in the world? Like many, I trusted that marriage and children—my family—would happen. In the meantime, I lived my life. I fell in with some fascinating men, up close and unvarnished, and had conversations I can still quote. I didn't want to settle at 25. I wanted adventures. I just didn't imagine their cost, and how I would struggle to keep paying it.
When Doc S. told me I'd need IVF to have even a shot at motherhood, I had just begun seeing someone new—I'll call him X. The first year we were together, I froze eggs rather than going through with full-on fertilization and embryo transfer, to give us some unpressured time. But I knew enough to keep making plans. And I thought about that talk on the beach. If you buy sperm at $565 a vial, plus $170 shipping, doesn't that mean you can't get it—in my case, a husband and family—for free?
In January of last year, I planned to go ahead with fertilization for the first time and was telling X about the donor when he said, "I think I'd like to be involved." He seemed lit by some competition with the man in the vial. But perhaps he'd gotten serious? I started to consider him instead of my Ph.D. donor.
The day before my flight to the fertility clinic in Colorado, I returned from an ultrasound to an empty house, no note. Later, X told me that he wanted four kids and thought I'd only be able to give him one or two. (To him, I was the bad bet.) I boarded the plane the next morning with swollen eyes.
* * *
Attitudes about infertility haven't entirely evolved since the Dark Ages. And infertile women still feel the stigma. A few days after a failed embryo transfer, I said yes to a dinner party because I knew I needed to get out. I dreaded it, as one of the women who would be there had just had her fourth child.
I sat next to her and smiled as others joked about her being a "baby machine." Over dessert, she asked what I'd been up to, and I said I'd just come back from IVF. In a whisper, she told me that was how, after a number of tries, she'd had her son.
I understand why women, and men, might want to keep their baby business to themselves. But keeping quiet tends to keep us all in the dark. Had I been a slightly younger woman at that dinner table with the mom of four, I would have come away thinking that I had plenty of time to let nature take its course, when it's just not so.
Yes, some women are private and would rather not discuss intimate issues over tarte tatin. Others are competitive and corral information for themselves. But still others—and I think it's the majority—feel muzzled, unable to talk frankly about this essential thing. Whatever the cause, true communication about fertility has been squelched.
The Protocol
All IVF treatments are intensive and long. This is Ms. Finn's, including antibiotics, hormones and steroids.
Days 1–9: Doxycycline
Day 10: Doxycycline, ovulation test
Days 11–14: ovulation test
Day 24: Estrace
Days 25–27: Estrace, Cetrotide
Day 28: Estrace
Day 29: ultrasound, blood work
Days 30–33: Menopur, Gonal-F, Clomid, Dexamethasone
Day 34: Menopur, Gonal-F, Clomid, Dexamethasone, ultrasound, blood work
Day 35: Menopur, Gonal-F, Dexamethasone; fly to Colorado
Day 36: Menopur, Gonal-F, Dexamethasone, ultrasound, blood work, physical
Day 37: Menopur, Gonal-F, Dexamethasone, ultrasound, blood work
Day 38: Menopur, Gonal-F, Dexamethasone, Cetrotide, ultrasound, blood work
Days 39–40: Menopur, Gonal-F, Dexamethasone, Cetrotide, ultrasound, blood work
Day 41: Pregnyl, blood work, Pregnyl booster if needed, Dexamethasone
Day 42: egg retrieval, Medrol, Tetracycline
Day 43: Medrol, Tetracycline, baby aspirin
Day 44: Medrol, Tetracycline, Endometrin, Lovenox, baby aspirin
Day 45:egg transfer, Medrol, Tetracycline, Endometrin, Lovenox, baby aspirin
Day 46: bed rest, Endometrin, Lovenox, baby aspirin
Days 47-49: Endometrin, Lovenox, baby aspirin; fly home
Days 50–53: Endometrin, Lovenox, baby aspirin, Vivelle
Day 54: Endometrin, Lovenox, baby aspirin, Vivelle, pregnancy test
Day 10: Doxycycline, ovulation test
Days 11–14: ovulation test
Day 24: Estrace
Days 25–27: Estrace, Cetrotide
Day 28: Estrace
Day 29: ultrasound, blood work
Days 30–33: Menopur, Gonal-F, Clomid, Dexamethasone
Day 34: Menopur, Gonal-F, Clomid, Dexamethasone, ultrasound, blood work
Day 35: Menopur, Gonal-F, Dexamethasone; fly to Colorado
Day 36: Menopur, Gonal-F, Dexamethasone, ultrasound, blood work, physical
Day 37: Menopur, Gonal-F, Dexamethasone, ultrasound, blood work
Day 38: Menopur, Gonal-F, Dexamethasone, Cetrotide, ultrasound, blood work
Days 39–40: Menopur, Gonal-F, Dexamethasone, Cetrotide, ultrasound, blood work
Day 41: Pregnyl, blood work, Pregnyl booster if needed, Dexamethasone
Day 42: egg retrieval, Medrol, Tetracycline
Day 43: Medrol, Tetracycline, baby aspirin
Day 44: Medrol, Tetracycline, Endometrin, Lovenox, baby aspirin
Day 45:egg transfer, Medrol, Tetracycline, Endometrin, Lovenox, baby aspirin
Day 46: bed rest, Endometrin, Lovenox, baby aspirin
Days 47-49: Endometrin, Lovenox, baby aspirin; fly home
Days 50–53: Endometrin, Lovenox, baby aspirin, Vivelle
Day 54: Endometrin, Lovenox, baby aspirin, Vivelle, pregnancy test
There's a reason women flock online for solace. The trouble is, every woman's experience is subtly different, and IVF success often lies in the devilish details. Beyond empathy, online message boards and autobiographical books tend to offer few useful facts. And even anonymously, not everyone is honest. Online forums are a good start, but if the conversation is contained among those already in hell, myths will continue to be told outside it.
The fertile also can be unthinkingly callous. I've had friends suggest that my experience could be a great lesson: This is the first time I haven't gotten something that I wanted (I promise, it's not). Others imply that IVF is a prideful attempt to outmaneuver nature, which may be true. But that's hard to hear from people who used contraception for years, then timed sex according to an ovulation kit, scheduled their C-sections around work and dye their hair.
To help those with children understand IVF on their own terms, I've started to quantify my progress the way they do their kids' ages, by overweeningly counting the months. My IVF is now 32 months old.
Sometimes, when they hear of a couple's IVF attempts, people with children knee-jerkily suggest adoption—which is no less miraculous, but a very different path. They mean well: Here's a home wanting a child, and here are children wanting a home—neat trade. But perhaps these parents are forgetting the deep biological desire that they themselves felt. Certainly they're giving advice they're unlikely to take.
In the end, infertility can make you feel less human. As cultivated as we are, we hold on to a deep-rooted belief that our worth is tied to how well, and how much, we reproduce. I've seen women and men shrink like salted slugs during IVF treatment. I've done it myself, disappearing even as the hormones start to puff me up. The whole process makes you feel unlovable.
* * *
Many women are still listening to their bosses instead of their gynecologists and their guts. They still trust that their mid to late 30s is a fine time to start trying for children. True, they could get lucky. But the question should be asked: Would you prefer to have children earlier and naturally or later, by dosing yourself up with drugs, submitting to surgery and paying tens of thousands of dollars?
In the first scenario, you'll probably have as many children as you'd like, and they'll be healthy. In the second, you may be able to have only one or two kids—maybe none—with a higher risk of defects and disorders.
In 2006, the CDC reported that about one of every 12 births in the U.S. was to first-time mothers older than 35, compared with one of every 100 in 1970. In 2008, it reported some of the ramifications: Babies conceived with IVF had a slightly increased risk of several birth defects, including a hole in the heart, cleft palate, improperly developed esophagus and malformed rectum.
Other studies have shown there may be some abnormal gene expression associated with IVF, thereby increasing the chance of genetic disorders. There's also an increased risk of premature birth and low birth weight. And recent studies have linked advanced paternal age—which often comes with the IVF territory—to autism, Marfan and Apert syndromes and other problems.
Down the line, there may be risks to the woman's health too. There is a proven connection between certain cancers, including breast cancer, and childlessness, but no research yet links cancer to IVF. It's too soon to tell. We are the generation from whose bodies researchers will learn about the ongoing effect of major hormone dosages. We know the odds may not be ideal, but we still take them. We want children that much.
People buy houses practically on top of the San Andreas Fault; I've done multiple IVF cycles. Sometimes, being reckless seems reasonable.
Nora Ephron has written how she regrets not having worn a bikini the entire time she was 26. "If anyone young is reading this," she writes, "go right this minute, put on a bikini, and don't take it off until you're 34."
The first thing I'd like to tell women ages 26 to 34 is: Start having babies. I know it's not polite or funny. But I don't want others to go through what I'm going through now.
I recently mentioned to an old friend how nobody talked to me in my early 30s about children. Earthquake kits? Sure. Fertility preparedness? Nope. She said she and her married friends had gabbed about it all the time. Their presumption, it seems, was that if you weren't married, you weren't maternal.
I'm guilty of that kind of conventional thinking as well. For too long, I believed that having a husband was what made you ready for a child. But as a test for potential motherhood, I now think there's something better than marrying someone: IVF.
IVF brings you to your knees and dares you to stagger to your feet again. Even as you steel yourself for more shots and setbacks, it forces you to remember the gentleness in you and the true reasons you want to bring another human into this world.
* * *
I have a small black-and-white ultrasound photo, like the ones couples are given after they see their fetus for the first time. Only mine was taken during one of my cycles, and there's an empty space with seven small black circles scattered about—my pre-people, follicles with eggs that never became babies.
The longing for a child isn't diluted when having one becomes a struggle. The desire stays as strong as it was. It's you who becomes weaker, like a fish wearing itself out on the line. Still, I'm not ready to move on to what's blithely called "child-free" living.
After a recent procedure failed—we got just two eggs, and neither was fertilized—I revisited decisions and doctors.
I went back to Doc S. and asked straight out: Would a sane person bother trying again? He said, "I don't think there's anything insane about what you're doing." But he gives me a less than 5% chance of a cycle working, down from 10% to 15% when I started, and he brings up the possibility of donor eggs. That's code for "time's up."
The success rate with donor eggs is 80% on the first transfer. Many people turn to this option (one out of 10 IVF cycles in the U.S., at last count), though nearly none admit it. I can imagine using this option if I were with a man to whom I would love to give a child, but right now, I'd be match-making a couple of strangers in my womb.
I know that it's not just genes that you pass down to a child; it's also your spirit and what you believe. Still, I resist having someone else's baby.
It's because of my thumbs. The left one is long, skinny and straight—very feminine. The right is squat, thicker and curved—definitely masculine. The first is my mother's; the second, my father's. They're exact replicas. My sister has them too.
There's something about being able to see where at least some of your parts are from. But when will I get to the point where, as Doc S. says, "nothing's going to make a dent"? How can you tell when you're destroying your own life to create another?
Our 40s, I realize, are the beginning of "nevers." It is the decade when doors close, never to reopen, not even if you push. We wrestle with this in different ways, women and men both. Perhaps that's why IVF is so hard. It might be my chance to have the baby I've always wanted. Or it might well be my first real "never," and possibly the worst: never having a child.
A tiny cream cashmere sweater comes with me to the clinic in Colorado every time I go, folded carefully in a sheer gold bag and cozied in with my workout shirts. I bought it years ago, in London, when I was choosing baby presents for fertile friends. I kept this one little thing for myself, hoping.
Now when I imagine I might always have the sweater and never have a child, I have to sit down. For whatever mistakes I have made, this feels too brutal a price to pay.
18.07.2011
Cellphones, Cancer and Infertility
Let’s face it…we love our cell phones. Whether we use them for business or just to keep in touch with family and friends, for most of us, they have become indispensable. Nonetheless, there are new warnings about the health risks associated with cell phone use that consumers need to be aware of.
In May, after a thorough review of the existing research, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified cell phones as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” and acknowledged that the radiation emitted from cell phones may increase an individual’s risk of brain cancer. Prior to this announcement, the WHO had maintained the position that no adverse health problems had been confirmed.
In one of the largest international studies undertaken, scientists found the rate of brain glioma (a type of tumor) doubled in individuals who used a cell phone for 10 years or more.
Now another potential health problem associated with cell phones is gaining attention. Researchers in Austria compared cell phone users to non-users and have found cell phone use capable of damaging sperm production and may be a contributing factor in male infertility.
This is not the first study that linked cell phones and male sterility. A number of earlier studies have come to similar conclusions. In 2005 researchers found the radio-frequency radiation produced by mobile phones had “a significant genotoxic [DNA-damaging] effect on …spermatozoa” in mice. A subsequent mouse study in 2007 found “significantly higher incidence of sperm cell death” and suggested “carrying cell phones near reproductive organs could negatively affect sperm quality” in men and may “impair male fertility.”
What is less clear is the impact cell phone radiation may have on disrupting embryonic development and whether the damaged sperm DNA may affect the development of a conceived fetus and possibly result in a newborn being more vulnerable to disease—such as childhood cancer—or other birth defects.
Nearly 10 percent of couples of childbearing age in the U.S., experience difficulty conceiving, almost half are the result of male infertility. The inability to conceive can be a heartbreaking and relationship-threatening problem facing over 6 million couples.
Consumers need to understand all the potential health problems that could occur from long-term cell phone radiation exposure.
Despite these health concerns, it is unlikely that any of us are going to give up our cell phones. What we can do, however, is educate ourselves about which cell phones are the safest—having a lower SAR [specific absorption rate] value—take precautions and use them more wisely.
Check out your cell phone radiation ranking at the Environmental Working Group’s Cell Phone Shopping Guide. You may want to switch to a phone with a lower SAR.
• Text whenever possible.
• Hold your phone away from your body and use the speakerphone setting, a headset or Bluetooth device. Remove headset when not on a call (some wireless devices emit low-level radiation too!)
• Keep your cell phone away from your body…away from your ear and not in your pants pocket where radiation can be absorbed into your body’s tissue.
• Cell phones emit more radiation when trying to connect to cellular towers. Avoid using cell phones in buildings, elevators, and in rural areas where signals are weak if you want to reduce radiation exposure.
Parents also need to educate their children about cell phones. So many are beginning their cell phone use at a much earlier age when their skulls are thinner thus exposing them to a lifetime of potentially harmful radiation…far more years than their parent’s generation.
Homepage: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/07/11/cell-phones-cancer-and-infertility/
13.07.2011
IVF procedure 'may increase
risk of Down's syndrome'
Down's syndrome is caused by one too many copies of chromosome 21
Drugs used in IVF for older women may increase their risk of having a baby with Down's syndrome, experts say.
Doctors already know that the chance of having a baby with the genetic condition goes up with the age of the mother, especially for those over 35.
Now UK researchers, who looked at 34 couples, think drugs used to kick-start ovaries for IVF in older women disturb the genetic material of the eggs.
Work is now needed to confirm their suspicions, a meeting in Sweden heard.
And they do not yet know the magnitude of risk, but say it could also cause many other genetic conditions, not just Down's.
The findings, presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology's annual conference, come from a UK study of 34 couples undergoing fertility treatment.
All of the women in the group were older than 31 and had been given drugs to make their varies release eggs ready for their IVF treatment.
When the researchers studied these now fertilised eggs they found some had genetic errors.
These errors could either cause the pregnancy to fail or mean the baby would be born with a genetic disease.
A closer look at 100 of the faulty eggs revealed that many of the errors involved a duplication of coiled genetic material, known as a chromosome.
Often, the error resulted in an extra copy of chromosome 21, which causes Down's syndrome.
But unlike "classic" Down's syndrome which is often seen in the babies of older women who conceive naturally, the pattern of genetic errors leading to Down's in the IVF eggs was different and more complex.
And this led the researchers to believe that it was the fertility treatment that was to blame.
Lead researcher Professor Alan Handyside, director of the London Bridge Fertility, Gynaecology and Genetics Centre, said more research was now needed.
"This could mean that the stimulation of the ovaries is causing some of these errors. We already know that these fertility drugs can have a similar effect in laboratory studies. But we need more work to confirm our findings."
If more tests back up their suspicions then it would mean that doctors should be more cautious about using these treatments, he said.
The researchers believe their work could also help identify which women might be better off using donor eggs for IVF instead.
Co-investigator Professor Joep Geraedts, of Bonn University in Germany, said: "This in itself is already a big step forward that will aid couples hoping for a healthy pregnancy and birth to be able to achieve one."
UK fertility expert Mr Stuart Lavery said: "There's a huge increase in the number of women undergoing IVF at later ages as people delay the age of starting a family.
"Previously we have always thought that these chromosomal abnormalities were related to the age of the egg.
"What this work shows is that a lot of the chromosomal abnormalities are not those that are conventionally age-related. It raises the concern that some of the abnormalities might be treatment-related.
"It's a little unclear as to whether it's the medication itself that is affecting the egg quality or whether it's the medication that is just forcing the issue and allowing eggs that nature's quality control system would have otherwise excluded, to arise."
Homepage: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-1399223205.07.2011
Fertility treatment less successful in obese women
(Reuters Health) - Obese women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) may be half as likely as their normal-weight counterparts to have a baby, a study at one U.S. medical center suggests.
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that of 1,700 women who underwent IVF at their center, those who were obese were up to 50 percent less likely to become pregnant or give birth.
Obese women also generally had lower estrogen levels and produced fewer normally fertilized embryos -- pointing to potential reasons that obese women are less likely to have a baby via IVF.
It's known that obesity can affect a woman's ability to conceive naturally.
However, "there is still a fair amount of uncertainty and debate as to how obesity affects IVF outcome," Dr. Divya K. Shah, the lead researcher on the new study, told Reuters Health in an email.
IVF involves fertilizing a woman's eggs -- either the patient's own or eggs from a donor -- in a lab dish, then implanting any resulting embryos in the patient's uterus a few days later.
The current findings, Shah said, suggest that "the eggs of obese women do not fertilize as well as those of normal-weight women."
Whatever the underlying reason, Shah said the "take-home message" is that women should try to get down to a healthy weight before they start IVF.
For their study, which appears in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, Shah's team reviewed records from 1,721 women who underwent one round of IVF treatment at their infertility center between 2007 and 2010. All of the women used their own eggs.
Overall, the researchers found, obese women were one-third to 50 percent less likely than normal-weight women to become pregnant -- even after factors like age and the cause of the infertility (if known) were taken into account.
Of 1,023 normal-weight women whose average age was about 36, 440 got pregnant after one IVF attempt and 348 (34 percent) had live births. The odds of pregnancy and live birth were 50 percent lower among women who were extremely obese -- having a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher.
BMI is a measure of weight in relation to height. A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is considered normal weight; 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight; and figures of 30 or higher fall into obesity territory.
Women who were moderately obese also had a lesser chance of having a baby than normal-weight women did, but that difference did not reach statistical significance -- which means it could be a chance finding.
This study, Shah said, cannot show whether losing weight will boost an obese woman's chances of becoming pregnant and ultimately having a baby through IVF.
"There is evidence from other studies, however," she added, "that weight loss increases the chances of becoming pregnant without infertility treatment, and decreases the risk of miscarriage and other pregnancy complications."
Achieving a healthy weight might be wise not only for obese women, but underweight women as well.
Shah's team found that women with a low BMI were less likely to become pregnant or have a baby than normal-weight women were -- though, again, that difference was not quite statistically significant.
Homepage: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/01/us-fertility-treatment-less-successful-o-idUSTRE76040920110701 27.06.2011
Infertility in Nigeria at 60% – Gynaecologist
ABUJA – The Chief Medical Director, Consultant Obstetricians/Gynaecologist of Maitama Hospital, Dr Francis Alu, weekend, said that 60% of gynaecologic clinic consultations were infertility-related.
He, however, assured that government hospitals might in the near future assist couples to have children through Invitro-Fertilization procedure.
Dr Alu in a chat with Vanguard said, though studies were inclusive, cases of infertility “worldwide is put at 10 to 30%, but in Nigeria, we know that about 60% or over of gynaecologic clinic consultations are infertility-related.
“This is attributed to the high incidence of tubal damages in our environment and, of course, causes of infertility in Nigeria is different from the causes in the western world where we have ovulatry dysfunction.
“This is very easy to treat. Once you ovulate, you can take in. In our own environment, the major cause of female infertility is tubel damage and it accounts for 60% of the causes and it is very difficult to treat, infertility through tubal damages is about 60%.
“High incidence of sexually transmitted infections, toilet diseases are are also responsible.
Homepage: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/06/infertility-in-nigeria-at-60-gynaecologist/24.06.2011
Costa Rica ignores enormous international pressure and keeps IVF ban
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, June 21, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Despite intense foreign pressure, Costa Rica rejected a bid to overturn its decade-long ban on in vitro fertilization last week.
The measure, proposed by President Laura Chinchilla, was narrowly defeated in the House of Representatives June 14th in a 26 to 25 vote, with more than half of the members breaking ranks to oppose it.
Costa Rica is the only country in the Western hemisphere that bans in vitro fertilization. The ban was put in place by the country’s Constitutional Court in 2000, when it ruled that the practice was unconstitutional because it violated the right to life of the embryo. IVF had been authorized by executive decree under strict conditions in 1995.
The court said that the in-vitro fertilization procedure put the embryos created at risk of death since multiple embryos are created with the procedure, with the knowledge that only one (in most cases) will survive. “The human embryo is a person from the moment of conception ... not an object ... not to be frozen ... not constitutionally legitimate to be exposed to a disproportionate risk of death,” it wrote.
President Chinchilla’s proposed bill would have limited the number of embryos created at one time to six, and required that all be implanted.
Her measure came after pressure from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, who ordered the country earlier this year to lift the ban by July 31st. Though the Commission’s decisions are not binding on states, they could take the country before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
President Chinchilla had been touted by some as the “pro-life” candidate in the 2010 election, but the label was questioned because of her support for abortions in cases of rape, or so-called “therapeutic” abortions where a mother’s life is at risk.
19.06.2011
ASMBS: Weight-Loss Surgery Resolves PCOS, Infertility
ORLANDO -- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) symptoms improved significantly after bariatric surgery, and previously infertile women successfully conceived, data from a small cohort study showed.
Almost all of the patients had resolution of menstrual dysfunction, and significantly fewer reported hirsutism (P<0.05).
Moreover, every infertile woman who wanted to conceive did so postoperatively, either naturally or by assisted reproduction, Mohammad K. Jamal, MD, reported here at the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) meeting.
"During nine years of follow-up, we observed resolution of symptoms associated with substantial weight loss," Jamal, of the University of Iowa in Iowa City, told MedPage Today. "The degree of symptom improvement was closely related to the excess weight loss.
"Additionally, every infertile woman who desired to conceive did conceive within three years of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RYGB] surgery."
Although the etiology of PCOS remains unclear, the condition frequently occurs in association with morbid obesity. Most patients have a variety of metabolic disturbances, including infertility, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension, Jamal noted.
The long-term impact of bariatric surgery on PCOS had not been studied carefully. To address that issue, investigators retrospectively reviewed medical records of 566 women who underwent RYGB from 2000 to 2009. The analysis revealed 31 (5.5%) patients who had PCOS prior to bariatric surgery.
Jamal said 11 patients were excluded because of inadequate follow-up or postmenopausal status. The remaining 20 patients were contacted by telephone and interviewed regarding their health status, including PCOS symptoms and fertility.
The 20 women had a mean age of 32, preoperative body mass index (BMI) of 53, obesity duration of 20 years, and PCOS duration of 8.6 years. Additionally, 17 of 20 (85%) had a history of menstrual dysfunction, 14 (70%) had hirsutism, and 12 (60%) had ultrasound documentation of polycystic ovaries.
Comorbidities included type 2 diabetes in nine patients, hypertension in six, depression in eight, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in 12, and urinary incontinence in six.
Jamal said 18 of the 20 patients expressed a desire for childbearing, eight of whom had conceived prior to bariatric surgery (five spontaneously and three with the aid of hormonal therapy). Of the remaining 10 patients, six had sought treatment for infertility.
The 10 infertile women were followed for an average of almost four years. Their excess weight loss averaged 64%, and they had a mean postoperative BMI of 34 (P<0.05 for both versus baseline).
Comorbidity resolution or improvement included eight of nine patients with diabetes, three of six hypertensive patients, seven of eight clinically depressed patients, all 10 patients with GERD, and all six patients with urinary incontinence.
In the overall population, bariatric surgery was associated with significant resolution of PCOS-related symptoms, including all six women who had sought treatment for infertility, five of 14 with hirsutism, and 14 of 17 patients with menstrual dysfunction (P<0.05 versus baseline).
Most of the improvement in PCOS symptoms occurred during the first 12 months after bariatric surgery, said Jamal. Additionally, resolution or improvement in symptoms increased over time with excess weight loss.
In the discussion that followed, George Eid, MD, of the University of Pittsburgh, said the study highlighted an important but neglected problem affecting a substantial proportion of obese women. The frequently cited PCOS prevalence of 5% to 6% probably underestimates the true prevalence "simply because people don't think about it when evaluating patients."
Former ASMBS president Harvey Sugerman, MD, urged bariatric surgeons to make a concerted effort to initiate dialog with the ob/gyn community to increase awareness of the potential benefits of weight-loss surgery for infertile obese women.
"Unfortunately, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists just came out with new guidelines for treatment of infertility, and they stated that bariatric surgery is not one of the components of treatment," said Sugerman, who practices in Richmond, Va.
"All of the papers we have in this area are extremely important, and it's just tragic that [ACOG] has done this," he said. "Unbelievable, really." In ACOG 2009 published a practice bulletin on pregnancy after bariatric surgery. The recommendations include the statement: "Bariatric surgery should not be considered a treatment for infertility."
Homepage: http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/ASMBS/27131
14.06.2011
Fact vs Fiction: The truth behind IVF and egg donation
Dealing with infertility, without the fictitious stories, can be incredibly difficult to come to terms with, but with advances in technology such as IVF treatment and egg donor programmes, many women are able to fall pregnant successfully.
Mbali Lechler is one woman who has gone through the IVF process, and although her attempts were unsuccessful, she was inspired to found FertilityCareSA, an egg donation programme based in Cape Town, South Africa.
“There are so many courageous women who want to donate their eggs, and women who desperately need this help, but it’s important to separate the facts from fiction to make the process less scary,” said Mbali, Managing Director at the agency.
However, television dramas can make it difficult to sort out that truth and for these women to make informed decisions. Fertility expert Dr Femi Olarogun, an OB/GYN with a subspecialty qualification in Reproductive Medicine, which includes management of infertility, agrees.
“Mainstream media certainly has a role in forming opinions on such a controversial topic, and therefore it follows there should be a certain amount of responsibility in their story telling. Accidents do happen, but they are extremely rare,” warned Dr Olarogun.
In response, Lechler and Dr Olarogun tackle some of the most widely believed myths when it comes to IVF treatment and egg donation, in order help women who are faced with this dilemma.
FICTION:
It will feel as though I’m carrying another woman’s child, I won’t bond with someone else’s baby.
FACT:
Mbali: By the time a woman has decided to use an egg donor she has already accepted that this is the only way for her to have a child, and most of our recipients see it as they will be carrying their husband's/partner's child and because they have been involved in the entire process, they see it as giving birth to their child.
Dr Olarogun: The mother most certainly does bond with the child – first, through the nine months the child is in the womb. But bonding is a natural process which continues through the birth, and then breastfeeding - bonding happens continuously through each phase.
FICTION:
My egg donor may decide to keep the baby after he/she is born.
FACT:
Mbali: Egg donation in South Africa is completely anonymous by law; an egg donor will never know who has received her egg. And recipients/parents have no information on the egg donor, other than what is on her profile. This is the reason that we do NOT share adult photos with egg donor recipients. Confidentiality is paramount and maintained at all times.
Dr Olarogun: This can be a concern, but this is different from surrogacy where the donor CARRIES the pregnancy. In this case the recipient does and the donor has no idea with whom this is happening. Donors are required to undergo psychological assessment at least once a year to ensure they fully understand their role in the process, and at that time potential donors discuss why they want to become involved. If there are red flags – and by this stage the donor is usually quite committed – but if there are red flags, a donor will not be accepted. It is possible for close friends or sisters to donate their eggs, removing the anonymity factor, but in that case I strongly recommend having legal documents drawn up ahead of time.
FICTION:
Donor profiles are probably made up and just say what they think I want to hear.
FACT:
Mbali: We share the profiles of a chosen donor with the clinic. When the doctor or nursing sister sees the donor for the first time, they will also go through the information on the profile with the donor, and the donor is asked to supply the same information to the clinic as they have supplied to us as an agency, so the treating doctor can verify that the information given on your donor’s profile is actually the correct information.
Dr Olarogun: Potential donors are screened by both the donor agency and a physician, so physical characteristics can be confirmed immediately. Additional information should be verified by the doctor, but bear in mind that chronic illness and disease doesn’t necessarily carry to the offspring.
FICTION:
I’ve selected the donor, but how can I be sure that is the egg that I will receive?
FACT:
Dr Olarogun: This is one that is perpetuated by television and movie dramas, but can be a real concern to a woman facing an IVF treatment. If, for some reason, the donor you’ve selected is unavailable, the potential recipient will be informed. The chance of a swap happening accidentally is extremely rare. Labelling happens right through the process, from beginning to end, and strict control procedures must be followed throughout.
FICTION:
There is no guarantee I’ll receive healthy eggs.
FACT:
Dr Olarogun: This one is true, but since the chances of eggs with chromosomal abnormalities increases with age, there is a significantly reduced risk of these abnormalities with eggs from a younger donor.
FICTION:
There is a long waiting list for an egg donor.
FACT:
Mbali: There is no waiting list at FertilityCareSA, most of our donors are available immediately.
Dr Olarogun: While this may be true in other countries, there isn’t so much demand here, and a waiting list is rare. Although, for a variety of reasons, there may be a wait for a specific donor.
FICTION:
The process of harvesting eggs is painful.
FACT:
Mbali: No the process of harvesting is not painful, at worst some donors may feel like a menstrual pain, after the eggs have been harvested.
FICTION:
If I donate my eggs when I’m young, I’ll run out by the time I’m ready to start a family.
FACT:
Mbali: No, you will not run out of eggs. A woman releases more than 400 healthy eggs in her lifetime, and the eggs that you do not use are lost through a period every month. So when you donate your eggs you donate the ones that wouldn't have been used.
Dr. Olarogun: Falling pregnant has more to do with the quality of the eggs than the quantity, and there is no evidence to suggest a decrease in production of eggs due to donation.
Although mistakes do happen, they are extremely rare, less than a handful recorded globally in the past 20 years. The procedure is relatively new in South Africa; most egg donation agencies were established less than five years ago. To ensure an agency is right for you, look at their track record and success rate, ask as many questions as need, and get referrals from others who have undergone the same procedure.
Homepage: http://www.treatmentabroad.com/medical-tourism/news/?EntryId134=293056
05.06.2011
NHS fertility clinics told to lift restrictions on IVF treatment
NHS fertility clinics will be ordered to meet their responsibilities and provide adequate levels of IVF treatment, amid growing concerns that a "postcode lottery" is stifling couples' chances of having a baby.
Ministers will contact every state-funded fertility centre in the country to remind them that guidelines recommend that the NHS offer eligible couples three cycles of IVF treatment. The intervention comes after an increasing number of NHS primary care trusts (PCTs) announced they were restricting IVF treatment – or suspending it altogether – citing budget constraints.
The Independent on Sunday revealed last month that Britain's fertility watchdog was to launch a crackdown on private IVF clinics, following claims they had been charging exorbitantly high fees and "misleading" patients about their chances of having a child. Lord Winston, one of the country's foremost fertility experts, complained about the "scandal" of clinics overcharging.
But restrictions on the availability of NHS fertility treatment has forced more couples to go private – at an average cost of £3,500 an attempt.
Figures from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority show that almost 40,000 women had IVF treatment in 2008, an increase of 8.2 per cent on 2007. The majority of treatments were in private clinics.
David Flory, the NHS's deputy chief executive, has written to all PCTs asking them to respect the guidelines. "Many PCTs have made progress in implementing the existing recommendations. I hope they can inspire those who have not yet made the same progress to move more rapidly towards implementation."
Susan Seenan, of the National Infertility Awareness Campaign, said: "It is unacceptable that some PCTs are still failing to fund fertility treatment. The guidance was based on clinical, as well as cost, effectiveness."
30.05.2011
Infertility one sign of ovary syndrome
Dear Dr. Donohue • Since my first periods until now, at age 30, my menstrual periods have never been regular. My husband and I have tried to have a baby for the past four years. Could my menstrual cycles be involved with not being able to get pregnant? What would you recommend? — L.R.
Answer • I'd recommend that you see a gynecologist. You might be on the right track in associating your inability to become pregnant with your irregular periods. The two are signs of polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS.
PCOS has other signs. One is enlarged and cystic ovaries. A doctor often can feel them, but soundwave pictures of the ovaries demonstrate them clearly. A significant percentage of women who have the syndrome are overweight. Sometimes these women also have abnormal blood sugar. Many show signs of masculine features, such as facial hair.
One of the basic disorders of the syndrome is an overproduction of male hormone. Blood tests show if a woman has too much testosterone. Facial-hair growth is one of the consequences of that hormonal imbalance.
PCOS is much more common than you might imagine. It affects up to 15 percent of women and often is found to be the reason why a woman cannot become pregnant.
Once the diagnosis is established, treatments are tailored to the woman's preferences. For overweight women, weight loss often can restore normal periods and normal estrogen production. Birth-control pills are one way to restore hormone balance if a woman isn't desirous of having a child. If the woman is eager to have a family, then other drugs are prescribed. Clomiphene, for example, has the capability of fostering the development and release of an ovum ready for fertilization. These are only a few of the treatments for this syndrome.
You need not have every sign and symptom I listed to have the syndrome. You have two signs: abnormal periods and infertility.
Dear Dr. Donohue • I am into natural remedies. I know this drives most doctors up the wall when a person tells them this.
I've been taking garlic to keep my cholesterol low. It works for me. I haven't told my doctor, since he's not a believer in herbs. What do you say? — M.N.
Answer • Reliable information on garlic's ability to lower cholesterol is hard to come by. However, respected authorities on cholesterol control don't endorse it as a treatment. If you find that it works for you, stick with it. It's not going to hurt you.
25.05.2011
Transferring single embryos: Education ain't enough
By
Scientific Director, The London Bridge Fertility, Gynaecology and Genetics Centre
Appeared in BioNews 608
When asked why having twins isn't a good idea, I struggle. I start trotting out the party line, the obstetric risks and risks to the babies themselves, and then begin to shuffle my feet. It's complicated, I say, hoping they will move onto another topic.
The truth is, it's not that complicated at all. You just need to ask the following question: Would fewer premature or low-birthweight babies and the associated medical problems be a good thing for couples and the country? The answer is always yes and it is that straightforward.
With current technology and expertise, we can significantly reduce multiple births from IVF by simply transferring fewerembryos. This policy has worked well elsewhere, notably Scandinavia, and is now working in the UK thanks to a target set by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) (1) to achieve a maximum of 10 percent twin births from IVF after 2012. Fertility clinics are largely compliant and we are progressing nicely.
Simple. Job done. But is it? Before we start patting ourselves on the back, there are still some unanswered questions. The tricky part of achieving any target is how to get there. So how do most of us get there? The UK's reported increases in elective Single Embryo Transfer (eSET) and subsequent decrease in multiple pregnancy have been achieved mainly by clinics using blastocyst transfer in fresh IVF cycles.
While blastocyst transfer can increase implantation rates and decrease the time to achieve live birth (particularly in younger women), it involves extended culturing of embryos. This may lead to increases in imprinting disorders (2), monozygotic twinning rates (3), pre-term birth (4) and a skew in sex ratio in favour of males (5). Some of these findings have been corroborated anecdotally by HFEA-held national data.
It's ironic that a policy to reduce the incidence of one type of twins (dizygotic - DZ) may inadvertently increase the incidence of another type (monozygotic - MZ). Furthermore, MZ twins (which result from an embryo splitting during early preimplantation development) have far worse and more frequent complications than their dizygotic counterparts - those which arise from two separate fertilised eggs. In some centres, one in 20 successful IVF cycles with blastocyst transfer may result in a monozygotic twin pregnancy. 'So blastocyst may not be all it's cracked up to be' - quips my friend. Well let's just say the jury is still out.
Health providers all agree: twins bad, monozygotic twins very bad. The problem comes when my friend follows up with a question I dread: 'If having twins is so bad - why has the limit been set at 10 percent and not five percent or even lower?' Indeed, a number of Scandinavian countries have already achieved the five percent mark without resorting to blastocyst culture and transfer.
No doubt a huge amount of discussion and evidence went into deciding on this limit (6). Perhaps the reduction in multiple births is part of a larger cost-reduction exercise since it is well established that twin pregnancy and birth costs far exceed those for singletons?
Whether or not this is the case, it is imperative that all non-IVF related procedures (such as stimulated intrauterine insemination) that result in many multiple pregnancies and births be subject to the scrutiny IVF has received. Moreover, the underlying causes of reproductive tourism, such as a shortage of donor gametes in the UK, also need to be urgently addressed. Multiple births from these sources could soon outstrip those from UK- based IVF cycles.
Considering the sector appears to be 'largely compliant', it was an interesting and perhaps bold decision by the HFEA to make the target percentage a license condition, instead of simply asking for the implementation of a multiple births minimisation strategy. The aim is, no doubt, to provide regulatory teeth but I can see challenges ahead.
There are always problems with targets and quotas. They undermine the reality of biological variation among patients, the doctor-patient relationship and the subsequent decision-making process. By introducing the new 10 percent live birth target as a license condition, there is a danger centres may feel pressurised into making poorer decisions for patients and become more paternalistic.
Indeed, fertility clinics may promote eSET to patients for whom it isn't the best option, as may have already happened in some centres where this policy has affected success rates. It may also encourage centres to inadvertently choose a cynical strategy to meet the target by selecting only younger patients for eSET while the greater risks of multiple pregnancy in older patients remain unaddressed. But the sector is largely compliant. We are on target. Mission accomplished.
The thought of targets and quotas where patient care is concerned sends a chill through most people. As my friend reminds me: 'So you have a multiple birth target and it is a good thing like the NHS attempting to reduce waiting lists'. An embarrassed silence follows. In a sector described by its own regulator as 'largely compliant', I am disappointed that the 'carrot and stick' mentality is still promoted. Punish the transgressors and reward the good. I am not sure how compliant centres are to be rewarded. That they need any more reward than safer IVF suggests that implementing eSET policy may have been more painful than expected.
While the policy to reduce multiple births is always sold on risk reduction, it is helpful to consider what many patients consider the biggest risk when they undergo IVF - failure. In the post eSET-era, it is easy to forget failure is the number one adverse outcome resulting from IVF treatment. All centres must get better at dealing with this reality both technically and in terms of emotional support for patients.
We must remember that, in an environment where most people pay for their own treatment, first-time success is a strong driving force. That, coupled with a desire for twins (to get 'two for the price of one' - as many patients put it), is why it can be difficult to convince patients to transfer a single embryo.
As Person Responsible at a licensed UK clinic, my life would be far easier knowing all patients receive the maximum information on multiple pregnancy risks and are perhaps encouraged to have eSET to meet the current target. But the provision of fertility treatment is not about making my life easier and should never be about achieving a quota (like fishing) or meeting arbitrary targets (like parking tickets). It is about helping people achieve something personal and important to them without being paternalistic.
Recently, I was asked by a senior clinical colleague to sit in on a consultation with a patient who had healthy nine-month-old twins following a successful fresh IVF cycle and was considering further treatment using her frozen blastocysts. Clearly, it was part of our job to warn her about the risks of transferring two embryos. I even played the 'what if you have quadruplets?' card. Short of begging, I don't think we could have done any more to change her mind. We didn't beg. We didn't force her. She didn't change her mind. She may well have twins.
The evidence that twin pregnancies are more risky than singleton pregnancies is not new but it has taken time for anyone in the UK to do something about it. Until both patients and providers consider a singleton birth as the optimal outcome and multiple pregnancy as an adverse outcome there will always be the potential for conflict between patients, providers, PCTs and the regulator.
For many couples, education is not sufficient – a cultural shift is required.
Homepage: http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_95119.asp
18.05.2011
Winston calls for action against IVF
clinics in charging 'scandal'
Lord Winston: Says patients are being overcharged for IVF treatment
IVF clinics in London are "cashing in" by overcharging patients who want to store frozen embryos, according to a top fertility doctor.
Clinics are advised to use one embryo at a time to reduce the health risks connected to multiple births, but couples desperate to conceive often choose to freeze embryos for future use.
Lord Robert Winston, the fertility treatment pioneer, said that some clinics were taking advantage of these "one at a time" regulations.
He revealed that one clinic charged £915 for embryo freezing plus £325 for storage in liquid nitrogen which "costs a few pence a litre".
Speaking in a debate in Parliament on the future of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, Professor Winston said: "Embryo freezing will be increasingly required if we are to limit the number of pregnancies that result in multiple births by transferring just one embryo each time."
The Labour peer added: "One of the key issues which the HFEA has not dealt with is the high cost of IVF treatment. In my view, it is a scandal.
"There are clinics that treat patients for around £3,400 a cycle. It is only when you look at their websites that you see that they are charging up to £1,100 to £3,200 for drugs that should be obtained on contracts at around £500 to £700 per cycle."
Lord Winston said IVF was a "highly privileged treatment" because "hard-pressed" NHS trusts cannot afford to offer the three free cycles of IVF recommended.
Many clinics only offer single embryo transfers since the new HFEA issued advice on limiting multiple births three years ago.
Figures published last week reveal multiple pregnancies fell to 22 per cent last year from 26.7 per cent in 2008.
Lord Winston also said that some clinics are offering treatments which are not backed by scientific evidence. These include immune therapy which costs up to £3,000 and is based on the belief that a woman's immune system may reject a pregnancy and lead to miscarriage.
The Assisted Reproduction and Gynaecology Centre in Wimpole Street is one clinic which offers these tests. It is run by Mohammed Taranissi who argues such testing can help women become pregnant.
But Professor Winston said: "Where is the evidence that immune therapy actually improves the success rate of pregnancies? I do not know of that evidence and, indeed, the treatment may even be damaging or harmful to the patient's residual immune system."Homepage: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23950680-winston-calls-for-action-against-ivf-clinics-in-charging-scandal.do
09.05.2011
Infertility and Treatment Options
15% of reproductive aged couples are infertile, and Dr Russell A. Foulk says he may be able to help.
About 10 million couples in the United States have a hard time having children, and research says only 50% of infertile couples seek treatment.
Dr Foulk says infertility is treatable-- virtually every cause can be overcome enabling every couple to have a baby of their own. The most common cause is ovulation defects and male factors.
Men and Women contribute equally to the reasons for infertility. The key is to identify the reason for the problem, next, you must treat the problem proactively each month. Many people become
frustrated and quit if their provider does not help them.
The Utah Fertility Center says their treatment is affordable. For most people: less than 10% of people need the expensive high tech treatments like IVF. Most can achieve pregnancy with minimal
and affordable treatments. A treatment plan must be created so the couple can help manage their own care. Many people get pushed into inappropriate plans by non fertility providers. For Example,
there is a PhD lab worker in Utah Valley that pushes everyone into IVF when lesser treatments work best and are much less expensive.
Infertility is an emotional burden: it has been compared to being diagnosed with cancer regarding the impact it has on one's life. The best way to cope with the burden is to understand the disease and
develop a plan to beat it. Understand that infertility can put serious pressures on your relationships. Try to not let it
About 10 million couples in the United States have a hard time having children, and research says only 50% of infertile couples seek treatment.
Dr Foulk says infertility is treatable-- virtually every cause can be overcome enabling every couple to have a baby of their own. The most common cause is ovulation defects and male factors.
Men and Women contribute equally to the reasons for infertility. The key is to identify the reason for the problem, next, you must treat the problem proactively each month. Many people become
frustrated and quit if their provider does not help them.
The Utah Fertility Center says their treatment is affordable. For most people: less than 10% of people need the expensive high tech treatments like IVF. Most can achieve pregnancy with minimal
and affordable treatments. A treatment plan must be created so the couple can help manage their own care. Many people get pushed into inappropriate plans by non fertility providers. For Example,
there is a PhD lab worker in Utah Valley that pushes everyone into IVF when lesser treatments work best and are much less expensive.
Infertility is an emotional burden: it has been compared to being diagnosed with cancer regarding the impact it has on one's life. The best way to cope with the burden is to understand the disease and
develop a plan to beat it. Understand that infertility can put serious pressures on your relationships. Try to not let it
Homepage: http://www.abc4.com/content/about_4/gtu/story/Infertility-and-Treatment-Options/sB_l_LicGEORTh0jc4o3Pw.cspx
03.05.2011
Fertility drugs concern experts
Common fertility drugs
Clomiphene
What is it: The most commonly prescribed ovulation drug.
Brand names: Clomid, Serophene.
How do you take it: Orally for five days.
What does it do: Stimulates ovulation in women who ovulate infrequently or not at all.
Side effects: Hot flashes, mood swings, breast tenderness and nausea are common. Less common are severe headaches and visual problems.
Risk of multiple births: About 10 percent chance of twins. Triplets or more are rare.
Gonadotropins
What is it: Fertility medications that contain hormones.
Brand names: Repronex, Bravelle.
How do you take it: A series of injections.
What does it do: Helps stimulate ovulation in women who have tried clomiphene without success.
Side effects: Hyperstimulation of the ovaries, breast tenderness, swelling or rash at the injection site, abdominal bleeding, mood swings, slight abdominal pain.
Risk of multiple birth: Up to 30 percent. Of the multiple pregnancies, about two-thirds are twins and one-third are triplets or more.
Source: American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 2006
What is it: The most commonly prescribed ovulation drug.
Brand names: Clomid, Serophene.
How do you take it: Orally for five days.
What does it do: Stimulates ovulation in women who ovulate infrequently or not at all.
Side effects: Hot flashes, mood swings, breast tenderness and nausea are common. Less common are severe headaches and visual problems.
Risk of multiple births: About 10 percent chance of twins. Triplets or more are rare.
Gonadotropins
What is it: Fertility medications that contain hormones.
Brand names: Repronex, Bravelle.
How do you take it: A series of injections.
What does it do: Helps stimulate ovulation in women who have tried clomiphene without success.
Side effects: Hyperstimulation of the ovaries, breast tenderness, swelling or rash at the injection site, abdominal bleeding, mood swings, slight abdominal pain.
Risk of multiple birth: Up to 30 percent. Of the multiple pregnancies, about two-thirds are twins and one-third are triplets or more.
Source: American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 2006
For the first few months after they married, Christina and Eric Peltz tried to get pregnant through sheer luck.
When luck wasn't enough, Christina took her temperature, monitored her cycles and tried to figure out the best days to conceive.
After a year, there was no baby, just a frustrating diagnosis of "unexplained infertility."
The Prior Lake couple decided to boost the odds in their favor.
For two months, Christina tried taking Clomid, an oral drug that was supposed to stimulate her ovaries to produce eggs.
It didn't.
Despite her fear of needles, they decided to take the next step: injecting herself twice a day for 10 days with the hormone Repronex.
When an ultrasound showed that her ovaries had produced a few viable eggs, Christina was inseminated with Eric's sperm to boost their chances of getting pregnant.
When Christina took a home pregnancy test that was positive, they were ecstatic. They knew twins or triplets were a possibility, but they weren't prepared for the first ultrasound. It clearly showed five tiny heartbeats.
Along with Rory and Jessie Mrozek of Sartell, new parents of quintuplets born Oct. 18, the Peltzes are part of a trend of multiple births in the United States that has many in the medical community concerned.
Fertility drugs such as those taken by Christina Peltz and Jessie Mrozek are the major reason for the increase of births with four or more babies.
Although the Peltz quintuplets survived and are now healthy 3-year-olds, multiple-birth babies are at significantly higher risk of premature birth and a host of related medical problems.
Despite the difficulty of controlling their outcome, fertility drugs remain popular — due largely to their effectiveness and their low cost compared with more expensive options such as in-vitro fertilization.
But medical experts say the cost of multiple births, in both human and financial terms, is difficult to measure.
"We put an enormous burden on the medical community or on society to pay for these," said Dr. Ted Nagel, associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Minnesota.
Helping nature
People often assume incorrectly that the rise in multiple births is due to in-vitro fertilization, when an egg is fertilized in a laboratory and the embryo is implanted in a woman's uterus.
But because doctors control the number of embryos and rarely implant more than two, those couples seldom have more than twins or triplets, Nagel said.
"Usually, when you see these high-order multiples, it's because the patient's ovaries have been stimulated to produce more than one egg," he said.
To do that, doctors rely on two kinds of fertility drugs, taken orally or injected. The oral type, usually clomiphene, is taken for five days and is supposed to cause the woman to ovulate. It's very effective for women who do not produce eggs on their own, Nagel said. And because it's a low level of stimulation, it generally doesn't result in more than twins.
If the oral drugs don't work, another option is injecting gonadotropins, the same hormone the body's pituitary gland sends to the ovaries. The process works well, but it's difficult to control the number of eggs produced, Nagel said.
"It takes a little more skill or art to do that safely," he said.
According to a 2004 report by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 5 percent to 12 percent of women who got pregnant using clomiphene had twins, while less than 1 percent had triplets or more. Of those who used gonadotropins, about 20 percent were multiples, including up to 5 percent that were triplets or more.
Nagel said the trend is partly caused by physicians who do not have specialized training who are prescribing the drugs.
"It can be done, but it needs to be done carefully," he said.
Christina Peltz's drugs were prescribed by her regular nurse practitioner, who specialized in fertility. She relied on an ultrasound and blood work to estimate that Christina had two or three viable eggs before they went ahead with insemination.
In reality, Christina had four eggs. One split, creating identical twins Blake and Ethan.
Peltz said she's not sure whether anything was done incorrectly in her case.
"I believe fertility drugs should be left to fertility experts," she said.
Tough choices
When multiples do happen, the mother's chances of making it until her due date before giving birth are slim.
While the typical pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, twins are usually born at about 37 weeks, Nagel said. With each additional fetus, another two to three weeks of development time is lost. Quadruplets are born at an average of 28 weeks, Nagel said.
"At 28 weeks, the kid's going to weigh about two and a half pounds," he said. "Now we are looking at babies that are going to need a lot of help."
With more babies crammed into the uterus, there's competition for blood flow, said Dr. William Block, medical director for Minnesota Perinatal Physicians at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, where the Mrozek quintuplets were born.
"That becomes the main problem for babies," he said. "Even if they stay in 30 weeks, they may be growth restricted."
Couples with a multiple pregnancy face the excruciating decision of whether to medically reduce the number of fetuses to give the surviving ones a better chance.
"That creates lots of moral, ethical and emotional issues," Nagel said. "Typically, these are couples who have been trying desperately to be pregnant.
"Now you're telling them they have to do away with one or two of these babies that they desperately want."
For the Peltzes, reduction was not an option. They believed God had given them five babies. God would decide their fate.
Other complications
Mothers carrying multiples are at greater risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, hemorrhaging and even death, Block said. Most spend a good chunk of their pregnancy in the hospital to allow them to devote all of their energy toward growing the babies, he said. After the birth, they face a risk of blood clots and often must work to rehabilitate wasted muscles.
When the delivery day arrives, birthing multiple babies is a "massive mobilization" that involves 25-30 people, including a neonatologist for each child, Block said.
Like all premature babies, multiples often have heart and lung problems and face a higher risk of infection because of being in a hospital long-term and fed through an IV. They're more prone to cerebral palsy and other complications and often require surgeries, Nagel said.
The Peltz quintuplets are healthy, except for some common delays due to their premature birth. Ethan was diagnosed with autism and Clayton is being monitored for the same disease.
The Mrozek babies were born almost three months before their due date and weighed between 1 pound, 15 ounces and 2 pounds, 10 ounces. They remain at Children's Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota.
Lainey Ann, the most fragile of the five, was put back on a ventilator last week. The family has asked for privacy in recent days and limited the amount of information going out about the babies.
'Million-dollar babies'
Medical experts say there are two reasons that couples hoping to get pregnant — and their doctors — continue to rely on fertility drugs despite the risks. For many couples, the drugs are very successful. They're also much less expensive than in-vitro fertilization, which costs about $12,000 for each attempt, said Dr. Bruce Campbell, president of the Center for Reproductive Medicine in Minneapolis.
Christina Peltz said they never considered IVF because of the high cost and because their insurance didn't cover it, but it did cover the fertility drugs.
That's often the case, Campbell said. He argues that insurance companies — and the employers that decide what procedures they want covered for their employees — should weigh all the costs of multiple births "rather than sort of force people to use a more risky procedure."
"There's kind of a perverse incentive going on out there," Campbell said.
The cost of the neonatal intensive care unit is measured "not in hundreds, but in thousands of dollars a day," Nagel said. For quintuplets who may spend several months in the hospital, the bill can be astronomical, he said.
Although the Peltz quintuplets all left the hospital within 71 days and didn't require multiple surgeries like some multiples, Christina still estimates their medical bills were close to $5 million.
"I had million-dollar babies," she said.
Those babies are now active 3-year-olds, and Christina said she feels blessed.
Depending on her mood, she's usually patient with curious strangers who ask whether she used fertility drugs. Sometimes after she's asked three or four times in one day, she gets a little testy.
She knows that most people have no idea what couples faced with infertility go through.
"The question I hate the most is, 'Are they natural?' " Peltz said. "Yeah, they're natural to me."
Homepage: http://www.sctimes.com/article/20071028/NEWS01/110280022/Fertility-drugs-concern-experts?odyssey=nav|head
25.04.2011
Stronger IVF regulations 'may save lives'
Implanting only one embryo rather than two or more during IVF may reduce the risk of mother and baby suffering medical complications, a new study has shown.
Researchers at the University of Montreal in Canada found that if just one embryo was implanted it could result in as many as 40 fewer deaths and 46 fewer brain injuries in children born by IVF, resulting in 42,400 fewer days of NICU hospitalisation.
The results were gleaned from extensive examination of records in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Quebec.
Dr Keith Barrington and his investigative team said the high number may be because of the increased likelihood of multiple births in IVF treatments where more than one embryo is implanted. Many of the births are premature, which can lead to many medical complications.
He is now advocating new regulations restricting the number of embryos implanted during IVF. His suggestion has been implemented at fertility centres around Quebec since last year, and the twin rates have dropped from 30 per cent to 3.8 per cent.
The likelihood of multiple birth is up to 40 per cent for parents using IVF.
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Ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization was linked to an increased risk of ovarian cancer 15 years later in a large cohort study that followed thousands of women in the Netherlands.
Compared with a control group of women who had fertility problems but did not undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF), women who underwent IVF had a relative risk of 4.40 for “borderline” (low-malignant-potential) tumors and 1.51 for invasive ovarian cancer. Overall, IVF conferred a relative risk of 2.05 for all ovarian malignancies, reported at the annual meeting of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists.
Whether borderline tumors eventually become invasive is subject to debate, noted a gynecologist at Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
“The clinical implications are modest,” he said, estimating the cumulative individual risk of developing an ovarian tumor before age 55 years as 0.45 percent for the general population and 0.71 percent for women who have undergone IVF.
The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, called the results “quite troubling” in a discussion of the study.
“We have to advise our patients that there is some risk of ovarian cancer.” The risk of developing breast cancer may be greater, “but, still, to develop ovarian cancer, your life is much more at risk.”
Two earlier reports were based on shorter follow-up of women in the current study. At 7.4 years, he reported increased incidence of borderline tumors in subfertile women regardless of whether they had undergone IVF, and said this was not related to IVF.
All 12 IVF centers in the Netherlands participated in the study. The initial cohort comprised 18,970 women who received IVF treatment between 1983 and 1995, and a control group of 7,536 subfertile women who sought help but were not treated with IVF.
About two-thirds of the women 67 percent of the total population and 74 percent of the IVF group responded to questionnaires on reproductive risk factors between 1997 and 1999. The investigators reviewed their medical records and, with written permission, followed their cancer diagnoses through linkage with The Netherlands Cancer Registry through 2007.
At a median follow-up of 14.7 years, 61 ovarian cancers were observed in the IVF group and 16 in the control group vs. expectations of 38.4 and 15.6, respectively, in those populations.
Chair of the practice committee of the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, called the study interesting, but noted that “it does not take into account whether the IVF patients were successful in achieving a pregnancy or what their previous pregnancy histories and ovarian cancer risk factors were. It also does not give the dosages of the stimulant drugs they took. It was a retrospective study, and such studies have limitations and are subject to recall bias.”
In general, there is evidence that infertile women who achieve pregnancy “reduce their risk of ovarian cancer by that factor alone,” an associate professor of ob/gyn at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York said.
In fact, he said, a more comprehensive study that looked at use of specific fertility drugs found no overall increase in ovarian cancer risk.
Homepage: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=677225&publicationSubCategoryId=64
18.04.2011
Fertility rate, sperm count going down
According to the National Population and Family Development Board, the fertility rate in Malaysia dropped from 3.4 in 1995 to 2.2 in 2007.
CHILDHOOD sweethearts Aileen and Kenny (not their real names) got married four years after they graduated from college, but they were in no hurry to start a family.
Being career-driven, having a baby was not a priority then as the couple felt they had time on their side.
They worked hard to establish themselves and by the time they were 35, they owned a couple of luxury cars and a bungalow in the Klang Valley.
"Since we were financially secure, we decided to start a family. But it has not been easy. We have been trying for the last two years without success.
"We have spent quite a bit of our savings on in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment," says Aileen, who turns 39 next month.
Aileen and Kenny have joined a growing number of Malaysian couples who are forced to resort to assisted reproductive technology to have a child.
Like many countries worldwide, the fertility rate in Malaysia is dropping steadily, a worrying trend for any country considering the economic impact of a shrinking population.
"People are having fewer babies. It is happening all over the world and you see it even in Africa and Asia," says consultant gynaecologist and fertility specialist Datuk Dr Prashant Nadkarni of the KL Fertility and Gynaecology Centre.
"The replacement fertility rate of many countries is now below 2.1 births."
The replacement fertility rate is the level of fertility required to ensure a population can replace itself.
"We are clearly seeing it in countries such as Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore, but a lot of it is a lifestyle choice.
"Women and men don't want to have babies and when they want to, it's already too late," says Dr Prashant.
Fertility levels are lowest in Macau and Hong Kong, where the rates are at an astonishing 0.5, and Singapore is not far behind at 1.1.
According to the National Population and Family Development Board, the fertility rate in Malaysia dropped from 3.4 in 1995 to 2.2 in 2007.
Last year, its director-general, Datuk Aminah Abdul Rahman, was quoted as saying that the fertility rate in Malaysia was expected to drop to 2.05 children by 2015 as the fertility level of women aged 15 to 49 was declining fast.
Dr Prashant says although Malaysia's birth rate is slightly better than Singapore, the country could be in danger of falling below the replacement rate if fertility levels continued to drop.
"It is a worrying trend. Look at Singapore. Every year, the prime minister's New Year message focuses on reproducing and increasing the population.
"The replacement fertility rate is 2.1 but their population production has crashed to 1.1. So, they are actually one person short for everyone.
"They are 'importing' people as there is no other way of replacing their population. We are not there yet but we are seeing a drop to 2.2, which is not far off the replacement rate. Given the same trend, it will carry on here."
Many factors contribute to the decreasing fertility rate, including women putting off child-bearing to a later age, obesity, medical conditions, stress and falling sperm counts.
As more women are now career-driven, having children is not their priority.
"Even employers are now putting a cap on the amount of paid maternity leave their staff can take. Some cap it at three children. Gone are the days when you can have six or seven children."
Apart from ageing women, what is equally worrying, according to Dr Prashant, is the falling sperm count among men.
"We don't know why men's sperm count is also falling but it could be a combination of many things, including environmental pollution. The current estimate is one per cent reduction in sperm count every year.
"We are actually coming to the point where men will not be able to procreate."
It is learnt that in a study by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's medical faculty, between 1999 and 2007, there was a 43 per cent decline in sperm count among male patients over the eight years.
This indicates that the demand for fertility services will rise, even for men, as they need assisted conception for their wives to achieve pregnancy.
"Everywhere you look, whatever you say, we are slowly coming to a point where assisted conception is going to be a necessity for a significant portion of the population, whether it's men because of a lower sperm count, or women because of ageing."
Dr Prashant says with about 15 per cent of the country's reproductive population (about 250,000 couples) having fertility problems at any one time, there is a growing demand for assisted conception.
But not everyone can afford the treatment.
In light of this, he says the proposal by the Health Ministry to allow couples to withdraw their EPF savings for fertility treatment is timely.
"IVF is very expensive because the technology is expensive. So, the proposal is excellent. Singapore has already done it.
"It shows that the government is beginning to realise the seriousness of the infertility problem and that we are not immune to it.
"They have to think of how to tackle it before it becomes serious like Singapore," adds Dr Prashant, who is also the medical director of the Tunku Azizah Fertility Foundation.
Childless couples like Liza and Shah, who got married four years ago, hope the proposal will materialise soon as it will enable them to go for IVF treatment.
"So far, I have only been on fertility pills but it has not worked. We are hoping to try the IVF treatment at one of the government hospitals as I believe I still have a good chance," says 26-year-old Liza, a clerk.
On average, a single IVF treatment costs RM12,000 in universities and quasi-government fertility centres, or RM17,000 in private hospitals.
Similar treatment at selected government hospitals costs between RM5,000 and RM7,000.
The treatment is currently available at the Kuala Lumpur, Alor Star and Kota Kinabalu Hospitals while two more centres are planned for hospitals in Kuala Terengganu and Johor.
Homepage: http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/f10spfer-2/Article/
11.04.2011
What price for life? The true cost of fertility treatment
Around two million babies worldwide have been born using IVF since its introduction in 1978. But the cost of a course of treatment can still make it inaccessible to many. Clare Hutchinson spoke to one mum-to-be about IVF treatment and egg donation
LIKE any happy, healthy mum-to-be, Claire Coombs is counting the days until her baby daughter is born.
It will mark the end of a long journey for the 28-year-old teaching assistant and her husband Richard, 36, since the couple decided to undergo a form of IVF treatment called intacytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) last year.
While they are preparing for their baby to be born, somewhere else in the UK another mother is also expecting thanks to Claire.
While Claire and Richard will never be told the identity of the woman or her baby, when the child reaches 18, he or she will have the right to find out the name and address of its biological mother.
It is a reality the couple have come to terms with and one Claire, especially, is comfortable with.
“There are people out there who are in the same situation as me, who want children, and if I can do anything to help I will,” said Claire.
“I know what it feels like to desperately want a baby.
“If you agree to egg-share I think you have to have an open mind. My treatment was paid for in part by the other person and, although I will never be told who she is, I have been told she has got pregnant with my egg.
“I’m so focused on this baby and what to expect, but when we found out she was pregnant we were both really happy for her. In a way, I suppose I didn’t want to let her down.”
Richard, a builder, who already has two children, underwent a vasectomy after the birth of his second child 12 years ago and, because it was voluntary, was unable to get it reversed on the NHS.
Claire, who lives with her husband in Newcastle Emlyn, said: “When Richard had the vasectomy he never imagined his marriage would break down and he would meet someone else with whom he would want to have more children. When we went to the local hospital to see if there was any way they could help with a reversal they said that because it was his choice there was no funding for it.
“When we looked into how much it would cost privately, we found it was about the same as a course of IVF treatment.”
A friend of Claire’s recommended the Swansea-based London Women’s Clinic and the couple went for a consultation last April.
“They said that we could egg share to bring the cost down because I was in the right age bracket where I was quite fertile,” said Claire.
“They did say to me that, although I have no rights to the child that could be born from my egg, the child does have the right to get in touch with me when they are 18, if their parents have told them.”
With an egg-sharing agreement in place, the couple agreed to try ICSI, which involves surgically removing sperm from the man and eggs from the woman and injecting a single sperm into each egg. The procedure has a fertilisation rate of around 70%.
The fertilised egg is then implanted in the woman’s womb.
Spare fertilised eggs can be frozen for future use, while, under the egg-share agreement, the other woman uses the unfertilised eggs.
Claire said: “First they extracted sperm from my husband and froze it, and then I had a course of drugs over a few weeks that were injected into my stomach to make me produce more eggs than usual.”
After her eggs were extracted, some were mixed with Richard’s sperm, allowed to fertilise and then implanted into her womb.
“The next couple of weeks were like the longest wait of my life,” said Claire. “Then they gave me an early pregnancy test and we found out I was pregnant on September 25.
“It didn’t really sink in for a few weeks after that. I was thinking: ‘No, it hasn’t worked,’ and I kept checking and re-checking the test.”
After seven weeks, Claire returned to the Swansea clinic for a scan and since then has kept regular appointments at her local hospital, just like any other mother-to-be.
Her baby girl is due on June 30.
“It’s amazing,” said Claire. “We went through years and years of not knowing whether we would be able to do anything about it or whether we would be able to afford treatment, and now we are happier and closer than ever.
“We’ve got another egg frozen so if we want to have a second baby we can. We were worried about the price but what we have found is that you can’t put a price on it.”
Homepage: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health-news/2011/04/11/what-price-for-life-the-true-cost-of-fertility-treatment-91466-28495341/
30.03.2003
Sperm grown in lab may cure male infertility
Researchers may have created the first viable artificial sperm
(Credit: istockphoto)
(CBS) - Who needs a man anyway? Scientists in Japan have successfully grown artificial sperm in a laboratory. This development could lead the way to someday discovering a cure to male infertility.
In an article published in the scientific journal "Nature," researchers at Yokohama City University cultivated tissue from baby mice and, over a period of several weeks, were able to create viable sperm from the tissue.
The researchers used in vitro fertilization to produce twelve mice with the developed sperm. These babies eventually grew and were able to have young of their own, according to the report. This marks the first time that laboratory-produced sperm has led to healthy and long-lived offspring.
Previous attempts at artificial sperm resulted in sickly offspring that quickly died, the article notes.
"This is a small but important step in understanding how sperm are formed, which may, in time, lead to us being able to grow human sperm in the laboratory," Allen Pacey, a professor at England's Sheffield University who is familiar with the study, told the Guardian.
The article notes that this new method of creating artificial sperm could help young boys about to go through cancer therapies that destroy fertility. It could also be used to increase the reproductive potential of endangered species.
It is, as Dr. Pacey said, a small step in the path of creating viable sperm with human applications. As he told the Guardian, "It is clearly important to make sure that any sperm produced are safe and give rise to healthy offspring when used, and that they in turn have healthy offspring. We need to be cautious with this kind of work."
Homepage: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20048147-10391704.html
23.03.2011
Help! I can´t get pregnant
The question
I have tried unsuccessfuly to get pregnant for almost a year. I am a 32-year-old female and my husband is 35. What should we do?
The answer
With approximately a quarter of a million couples in Canada experiencing issues with fertility, you are not alone in dealing with this concern. This can be not only stressful for each individual involved but can also put a strain on your relationship.
Infertility is defined as a failure to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse. Every person and every couple is unique and the causes for infertility may be due to female factors, male factors or a combination of both. Given that our natural fertility decreases with age and there is an increasing trend for delaying childbearing for social, professional and other personal reasons, infertility is becoming a common concern I see in my practice.
The reassuring news is that there may be a reversible cause that is interfering with your efforts to have a child and it is still possible that you may conceive in the next several months: 85 per cent of couples willbecome pregnant after 12 months of unprotected intercourse and over the next 36 months about 50 per cent of the remaining couples will go on to conceive spontaneously.
In your situation, I would suggest seeing your family doctor who can assist you in understanding what may be delaying conception and can refer you and your husband to a fertility specialist.
While every individual and couple is unique, the general consensus is to refer to a fertility specialist if the female is:
- <35: after one year of trying for pregnancy
- >35: after 6 months of trying for pregnancy
- >40: as soon as requested by patients or by 6 months of trying
Possible causes of infertility in females include: difficulty ovulating (releasing an egg every month) due to possible hormonal imbalance, and anatomical issues such as blocked fallopian tubes which may be due to endometriosis, previous pelvic surgery, pelvic inflammatory disease or radiation/chemotherapy.
For males, possible causes include decrease sperm production or sperm abnormalities which may be due to infection (sexually transmitted infection, mumps), trauma to the genital area, or radiation/chemotherapy.
While you are waiting to see your doctor or fertility specialist, a few tips to consider to prepare yourself for a healthy pregnancy and to improve the chances of conception include:
1. Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption: Women who smoke are approximately three times more likely to experience a one year delay in conception compared to a nonsmoker.
Alcohol can have negative affects on pregnancy and on the fetus, so while trying to concieve it is best to avoid or limit alcohol use.
2. Aim for a healthy weight: Being underweight or overweight can influence fertility and affect ovulation and sperm quality.
3. Take prenatal vitamins: Find one that contains at least 0.4-1.0mg folic acid which helps to reduce neural tube and other birth defects.
4. Have sex regularly: While this seems like an obvious suggestion, having regular intercourse every other day is found to be optimal to increase chances of conception. Daily sexual activity has not been found to be more effective and too frequent ejaculation can actually decrease sperm quality. Use of lubricants such as petroleum jelly or oils can affect sperm motility, so if you need it there are 'pre-seed' lubricants that can be used that do not negatively affect sperm.
5. Consider doing an ovulation calendar: Check in with your doctor about ways to track when you're ovulating with temperature and ovulation kits so you can time intercourse for the optimal time
6. Manage stress: Easier said than done but it has been found that stress may interfere with hormonal balance needed for ovulation and sperm production.
7. Optimize sperm quality and production: Avoid overheating the testes (frequent use of hot tubs/saunas/tight fitting underwear), and limit marijuana and cigarette smoking as these have been found to impair sperm production.
Infertility can cause severe emotional stress and often people describe a cycle of 'hope and despair' when it comes to waiting every month to see if they have concieved. For extra emotional supports, there are excellent resources in communities across Canada. Your family doctor may be able to suggest some local groups or a good resource is the Infertility Awareness Association of Canada, which provides coast to coast support groups.
Homepage: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/ask-a-health-expert/ask-a-doctor/help-i-cant-get-pregnant/article1951398/
16.03.2011
Men affected by trauma of infertility too
THAT'S MEN: Men need to talk about their pain too, writes PADRAIG O'MORAIN
INFERTILITY is an increasingly widespread problem, but it affects men and women differently. Knowing this can be of help to couples facing this all too common challenge.
Men have a tendency to keep their feelings to themselves as the couple goes through the often distressing experience of fertility treatment. This is partly because they don’t wish to add to the emotional pain of their partner. It can also be due to the male tendency to seek solutions rather than expressing emotions, in this case “getting on with” the fertility treatment.
And because so much of the medical work of dealing with infertility is focused on the female, the man can feel marginalised, and this may leave him still less likely to express his feelings.
To the woman it may seem that the man does not care, but that isn’t so. Still, one can see how she might feel unsupported and isolated. If it is she who is infertile, she may feel that her body has let her down. She may drive on with a desperate search for a solution regardless of the physical, financial or emotional cost.
Needless to say, these differing reactions affect the relationship between the man and woman. Fertility treatment can be very costly, with a uncertain outcome. Each person in the relationship is under stress, whether it is spoken of or not, and of course this stress can create a distance between the two people. And with both of them hurting, they may talk less and less to each other, and may even end up separating.
During the treatment itself, the woman needs plenty of emotional support. As counselling psychologist Jo Perkins points out in an excellent article in Therapy Today, there are other critical points at which the woman needs plenty of support from the man and from others.
These include miscarriages and the anniversaries of the due dates of the foetuses that miscarried. The news that a friend or relative is pregnant creates another painful pressure point. So, when it happens, is being told that the woman’s own eggs are not suitable for the fertility treatment.
Many men need to be able to talk to someone about the pain of the experience they themselves are going through, and indeed about the effect of all this on the relationship with their partners. I say “many” men because not all feel a need to discuss their feelings even in this most stressful situation.
When treatment has ended – even when it has ended successfully – problems may still remain. This is because women focusing on getting through the treatment may “park” dealing with other issues which affect them or the couple. When the treatment is over, these issues remain to be resolved. Men need to be aware of this, as do friends and family.
Infertility is a tough, tough challenge for any couple. Many couples will hide the effects of this challenge from family, friends and colleagues. But family, friends and colleagues should be aware that however calm and settled everything may appear on the surface, sensitive support could be a blessing to those going through this very distressing experience.
The Therapy Today article at therapytoday.net/article/15/33/ categories is well worth reading if you’re involved with the infertility issue in any way.
Finally, on a completely different note, I’m afraid I did a disservice last week to the good Dr Jekyll. In my column, which dealt with unconscious influences on the choice of marriage partner, I referred to a cartoon in which a woman complains to a counsellor that her husband is just not the man she married. The name Dr Jekyll is printed on the man’s briefcase. In the article, I managed to mix up Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, treating Dr Jekyll as the bad guy and Mr Hyde as his virtuous alter ego. In fact, it was the other way around in Robert Louis Stevenson’s story as some readers spotted. Apologies and mortification.
Padraig O’Morain (pomorain@ireland.com) is a counsellor accredited by the Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. His book, Light Mind – Mindfulness for Daily Living , is published by Veritas. His mindfulness newsletter is free by e-mail
08.03.2011
Natural Detoxification
How to Naturally Detoxify Your Body
These days, detoxification seems to be a catch all phrase for curing whatever ails you. Popular magazines are plastered with many suggestions on the proper way to detoxify, many of which are irresponsible.
Typically, only liver function is considered when discussing the topic of supporting detoxification, but the entire body serves as a site for detoxification. At a 2006 conference held in Los Angeles titled, "The role of detoxification and the gastrointestinal environment in chronic disease, "Brady linked many chronic diseases to the toxic burden our body bares and its inability to remove waste efficiently. So let us briefly look at the physical structures involved in this process.
There are various methods, foods, herbs and nutrients that can help remove waste. However, it is of paramount importance to build up the body by giving it proper foods, clean water and a healthy lifestyle. Below is a list of things I personally use to help cleanse my body and recommend my clients to use:
This is not to say that the need for detoxification is a hoax. On the contrary, the world we live in today is ever increasingly toxic. The air we breathe, the water we drink and bathe in, the food we eat, and the clothes we wear are all potential contact points for toxic exposure.
The little daily exposures add up to a life time of poisoning our bodies. Dr. David Brady, ND, author of Detoxification for Health, compiled a list of situations that could lead to toxic exposure:
1. Physical, such as injury, inflammation and excess exercise (excess lactic acid).
2. Nutritional such as excess food, additives, alcohol and transfatty acids.
3. Infection, including bacterial, fungal and parasitic.
4. Chemical, such as xenobiotics, like plastics and organic substances.
I would also add, emotional stress, mostly caused by our relationships with other people and our reaction to them.
It is no wonder that many people are interested in learning how to detox. But as in every matter, the way we approach something makes all the difference in the world. The professional irresponsibility in recommending detoxification to everyone is wide spread and worrisome.
Not everyone should detoxify, but everyone should support their body's ability to move waste out, to detoxify and cleanse.
What Is Detoxification?
Some important nutrients you need in abundance are the antioxidants, vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, vitamin A, selenium and zinc.
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The various systems the body uses to carry away harmful substances include the sweat glands, lymph nodes, tears, nose, gastrointestinal tract, throat, lungs, kidney, gallbladder and the liver. A dysfunction in one system can lead to an overburden and failure of another, so they all must function as a team.
Toxins that are not eliminated by other systems are passed to the liver where it selects the best enzyme to convert the substance into something the body can then excrete. We do not have an endless supply of enzymes. The body must make these enzymes from nutrients in the body. If the body is deficient in any one of the nutrients needed, the enzyme will not be formed properly and the process will not work.
Some very important nutrients to have in abundance in the body are the antioxidants, vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, vitamin A, selenium and zinc. It is critical that one builds up reserves of these nutrients to support the detoxification systems. If the liver is not functioning properly and is slow, the body can slowly poison itself.
It is important to note that the body has difficulty in excreting many chemicals because they are oil based (mostly the man made chemicals). Our bodies use water as the means to break down chemicals (water being the universal solvent). If the chemical is not water based, it settles in our body. Mercury is infamous for lodging in the fatty tissues of our body like the brain and reproductive organs.
Supporting the Detoxification System
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Dry brushes made of natural fibers can be used to move the lymph found in lymph vessels that lie just below the skin.
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- Having a positive self image and positive out look on life. Self doubt is toxic, as are all negative emotions.
- Super foods like green and red powders made from dehydrated herbs, fruits and vegetables. There are various types available at health food stores. I like these powders because it is a quick and easy way to provide your body with most of the phyto (plant) nutrients it needs in 1-2 tablespoons.
- Probiotics (life giving) provide our bodies with the healthy bacteria it needs to break down and utilize foods and prevent infection.
- Fiber is extremely important because it binds toxins to it so they can be excreted. Fiber is found in leafy greens, fruit, and flax seeds.
One table spoon of ground flax seeds in 8 oz of water is usually enough. If you are not accustomed to consuming large amounts of fiber, go slowly. Do not over do it. The consequences can be very painful. Avoid most commercially available fiber products.
- Dry brushes made of natural fibers can be used to move the lymph found in lymph vessels that lie just below the skin. Start on the right side of your body and gently use upward strokes, always towards the heart. Drink plenty of water afterwards.
- A simple hot bath once a week or even once a month, can do much by opening pores, especially if you remain in the bath until the water cools. Adding relaxing herbs like lavender, chamomile and lemon balm help alleviate stress.
- Some helpful herbs to support the liver are dandelion, burdock root, milk thistle seeds. They can be taken as teas or ground and sprinkled over food. Check with a health care practitioner for dose.
- Some body work methods are sauna, self massage with oil after bath, reflexology, acupressure and acupuncture. Something that I benefited the most from was jin shin jyutu.
- Exercising 3-5 times a day for 15-30 minutes helps the liver and gets things flowing.
- Lastly and most importantly is water. Without water, no process in the body can take place. To find out how much water you should be consuming divide your body weight in pounds by two and drink that amount in ounces. If you weight 160 lbs, you would need 80 oz of water.
In closing, you may feel worse before you feel better. You may get a bit of diarrhea, but hang in there. It may take your body a few days, weeks or months to adjust to the changes you made.
References
Al-Jauziyah, Ibn al-Qayyim. "Healing with the Medicine of the Prophet." trans. Jalal Rubuh, Darussalam, Riyadh. 1999.
Brady, David and Jacques, Danielle." Detoxification for Health." Designs for Health booklet, East Windsor, CT.
Gates, Donna. "The Body Ecology Diet." Healthful Communications, Inc. Juno Beach, Florida. 1996.
Murray, Michael. "Total Body Tune-Up." Bantam Books, New York. 2000.
Murray, Michael. "The Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplementation." Prima Publishing, Rocklin, Ca. 1996.
Pollan, Michael. "The Omnivore's Dilemma." Penguin Press, New York. 2006.
Roehl, Evelyn. "Whole Food Facts." Healing Arts Press, Rochester, Vermont. 1996.
Shelis, Maurice; Shike, Moshe; Ross, Catharine A; Caballero, Benjamin ; Cousins, Robert J. "Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease." Lippincott Williams & Williams, New York. 2006.
Steingraber, Sandra. "Having Faith." Berkley Books, New York. 2003.
Whitney, Ellie and Sharon Rady Rolfes. "Understanding Nutrition." Thomson Wadsworth, Belmont, Ca. 2005.
If you are pregnant, nursing or planning to become pregnant never attempt to detoxify yourself. If you are chronically ill, or are recovering from a chronic or acute illness, you should build yourself up before you detoxify. Detoxification should never be attempted without the supervision of a certified health care practitioner. You need to be sure that your liver and other detoxification pathways (like the bowel) are functioning properly.
Homepage: http://www.onislam.net/english/health-and-science/health/431746.html
02.03.2011
The truth about infertility
Takes two ... male infertility contributes to almost half of IVF cases.
At age 32, Kasey Edwards was told she would probably be infertile within a year.
After more than a decade of trying not to conceive, she was faced with the possibility that she may never be able to.
"I didn't realise just how hard it is to get pregnant in your 30s until I was sitting in front of my doctor being told that it was quite possibly too late," says Edwards, who has penned a book -Thirty Something and the Clock is Ticking - about her experiences.
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"There is so much ignorance around fertility and motherhood, which is bizarre when you think as modern women we take control of every other aspect of our life."
After spending her 20s climbing the corporate ladder, the part-time management consultant and author had only just begun to see babies as "quite cute" and was far from ready to take the plunge.
So she started researching.
She talked to parents who said having kids was the best thing they had ever done and others who said it was the worst. She read books on motherhood and got acquainted with fertility statistics.
"I think we need to know more about the truth about motherhood. It needs to be spoken about more so we can make informed decisions," she says.
The same goes for fertility.
"When a friend complains that she is getting old and wants to have a baby we go 'oh no, you have got plenty of time, my sister's cousin's roommate had a baby when she was 45', so we are lying to each other to make ourselves feel better."
Edwards also blames the media for perpetuating fertility myths.
"We are often fooled by what we see in the media. We hear stories of Hollywood celebrities having babies in their 40s and we think that we can do it too," she says.
"Statistically, it is just not possible for all of them to effortlessly fall pregnant in their 40s, they have to be using donor eggs but that's not disclosed in the article.
"We are lulled into a false sense of security because we keep hearing these miracle stories."
On the other side of the equation are people who become parents without educating themselves about what lies ahead.
On the other side of the equation are people who become parents without educating themselves about what lies ahead.
"Motherhood is not for everyone and I interviewed people who said they wished they had never done it," Edwards says.
"If you decide that you never want kids then good on you but make it an informed decision. If you do (want to have kids) you have got to change the idea that you have got plenty of time.
"We don't want to think about it but in our early 30s - if you are not dating someone who is father material - then you are wasting time that you don't have."
But it's not just all about the women.
"Men have biological clocks too and almost 50 per cent of the cases at IVF clinics are there because the men have problems," she says.
And, if you decide to go it alone then you need to be informed about your options.
"We do have options now. I interviewed a group of really inspiring women who did it on their own.
"I'm not saying that it is ideal to do it this way but it is an option."
But again, it is an option that has time limits.
"It's only an option if you do it while you still have time. My IVF doctor said women present to (doctors) too late.
"I just think we all need a plan and a back-up plan."
Edwards decided she did want to have a baby and she details her challenges trying to conceive naturally and then how she felt indignity and despair with IVF in her book.
"My daughter, Violet, is now 18 months old. I find motherhood really hard but I am so glad I did it and when I think that I almost didn't I cry at the thought of almost missing my chance," she says.
"It has given me such a feeling of meaning and purpose and love but having said that, it's really hard and I don't want to advocate to anyone that they have children without realising the sacrifices that you make."
Since Violet was been born, Edwards has lost her job and is finding it almost impossible to find part-time work.
"I do miss the social status of having a job and earning money," she says.
And it's important people realise that "loving your child and loving the lifestyle of motherhood is not the same thing".
The facts about fertility:
* The best age to have a baby (biologically) is between 20 and 35.
* By age 25 women have lost 80 per cent of the eggs they were born with, by 35 that has dropped to a 95 per cent loss.
* A 30-year-old woman who wants to get pregnant, stands a 22 per cent chance of being successful during any given month. By age 35 it has dropped to 18 per cent. By 40, it's five per cent and by 45 there's only a one per cent chance.
* Male infertility is also on the rise. Almost half of all assisted reproductive procedures are conducted because of male infertility. After age 35 sperm shows signs of increased DNA damage.
Sources: Dr Tony Falconer from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; fertility expert Dr Arthur Leader from the University of Ottawa; medical doctor Sam Tormey's article The Male Fertility Myth in Melbourne's Child.
22.02.2011
Do IVF Pregnancies Raise Death Risk for Mothers?
British Doctors Say Risk Is Small but Real; U.S. Experts Aren’t So Sure
Jan. 27, 2011 -- Maternal deaths resulting from in vitro fertilization(IVF) are relatively rare, but they do occur, British doctors warn in an editorial in the journal BMJ.
In the U.S. there were more than 140,000 IVF cycles in 2008, according to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology (SART). During IVF, an egg and sperm are fertilized outside of the body in a laboratory and then implanted in the woman’s uterus. Fertility drugs are often used to stimulate a woman’s ovaries to produce eggs.
One leading U.S. fertility doctor says he is not aware of any deaths in the U.S. related to IVF pregnancies.
In the new report, Susan Bewley, an obstetrician at Kings College in London, and colleagues cite a study in the Netherlands that shows that the rate of pregnant women dying during IVF pregnancies is higher than during pregnancies in the general population. Specifically, there were 42 deaths per 100,000 IVF pregnancies, compared with six deaths seen among 100,000 pregnancies in the general population.
Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome can occur as a result of fertility drugs used to stimulate the development of eggs in a woman's ovaries. If the ovaries are overstimulated they can become enlarged and symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting can occur. In severe cases fluid may accumulate around the lungs or heart.
The authors call for tracking of IVF-associated risks including ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome to better understand risks associated with IVF. “More stringent attention to stimulation regimens, preconceptual care, and pregnancy management is needed so that maternal death and severe morbidity do not worsen further,” they write.
U.S. Perspective
U.S. fertility doctors point out that the reasons women undergo IVF may account for the increased risk of death seen in the studies.
“It is very tenuous to say these were caused by IVF,” says Jamie Grifo, MD, PhD, program director of New York University Fertility Center in New York City.
Underlying health issues in women who turn to IVF to get pregnant may affect their risk profile, he says. These women may have had previous uterine surgery or are predisposed to high blood pressure or diabetes. Women who undergo IVF are also usually older than their counterparts who conceive without such assistance. Advancing maternal age is associated with riskier pregnancies.
“The population of people who need IVF may add special contributing factors to the risk of death during their pregnancy,” he says. Multiple pregnancies are more likely as a result of IVF, which also increases risks to moms and babies.
The new findings may not apply to the U.S. due to differences in obstetrical care, he says.
“We manage risks better [here], and do reductions more in multiple pregnancies,” Grifo says. The best way to protect the mother’s health and that of the babyregardless of how the pregnancy occurred is good prenatal care.
“If there are things about the pregnancy that increases their risk, women should be cared for by high-risk obstetricians who know how to manage complications and take them seriously,” he says.
Risks Inherent
“I have never heard of anyone dying from IVF in the U.S.,” says SART President R. Stan Williams, MD, the chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Florida in Gainesville.
In the new report, “they are comparing apples to oranges when they compare pregnancy in the general population to IVF pregnancies,” he says.
“The first major difference is the ages,” he says. "The majority of people getting IVF are in their mid-30s, and the majority of women in the general population who get pregnant are in their 20s.”
The underlying disease process that caused fertility problems in the first place is also a factor.
That said, every procedure does have some inherent risks, including IVF.
“There are risks with IVF, I don’t deny it,” he says. “The risks are rare but they are real and need to be taken into account when thinking about using IVF to have a baby.”
Many couples may downplay or even ignore the risks due to their desire to have children, he says.
“It is the physician’s responsibility to make sure they are not driven only by the goal of establishing a pregnancy and that they really understand any and all risks that they are taking,” says Gerald Scholl, MD, associate chief of human reproduction at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y.
He says that the risk of maternal mortality among IVF pregnancies is “really extremely low.”
These women are screened extensively before IVF to make sure they are appropriate candidates.”If women have any underlying diseases or conditions that could worsen during pregnancy, they are counseled not to start IVF,” he says.
14.02.2011
Infertility is high in Gulf: report
Gulf oil producers have a high infertility rate as it is estimated in Saudi Arabia at around 20 per cent, according to a medical report.
The report by the King Faisal University in Riyadh showed Saudi Arabia’seastern region, which borders the UAE and other Gulf countries, have the highest infertility rate in the kingdom.
“Infertility in both men and women in Saudi Arabia is very high as it estimated at around 20 per cent,” said Dr Hassan Jamal, a gynecology and obstetrics professor at King Abdul Aziz University in the western Red Sea port of Jeddah.
Dr Jamal was addressing a Gulf medical conference in Riyadh, where hundreds of doctors and health officials from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other parts of the region are present.
“Infertility in the region is very high mainly in Saudi Arabia’s eastern region and the other Gulf countries.”
Dr Jamal, who was quoting the study by the King Faisal University, gave no reason for the high infertility rate in the region but said the problem has become now easier with what he described as the “dramatic” development in the treatment of infertility.
He said men getting married should be tested for infertility before women. He gave no reason for this recommendation.
Homepage: http://www.emirates247.com/lifestyle/health/infertility-is-high-in-gulf-report-2011-02-12-1.355038
08.02.2011
Women are 'six times more likely to have fertility problems at 35'
A major study has claimed that women are six times more likelt to have fertility problems when they are 35, rather than if they become mothers when younger.
The findings, by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, found that women in their mid-thirties are more prone to contraceptive problems.
Those who have children at a later stage in their lives are said to be at greater risk of suffering from medical complications for both them and their baby.
Women are apparently more likely to have fertility problems at 35 (Pic: Alamy)
Furthermore, the study revealed that 40-year old women are more likely to have a miscarriage than to give birth.
David Utting, who co-authored the review, said: ‘Clear facts on fertility need to be made available to women of all ages to remind them that the most secure age for childbearing remains 20-35.
‘However women and doctors should remain vigilant to prevent unplanned and unwanted pregnancies.’
Explaining the reasons behind the trend for starting a family at an older age - the average age for mothers is 29.3 years old - doctors have pointed to an increased focus on careers.
Gedis Grudzinskas, a consultant in infertility and gynaecology, said: ‘Many women I see say they find it very difficult to try to do everything.
‘Society has changed and there is now much more opportunity to follow exciting careers – especially with such inadequate provision of childcare.
‘Women achieve career satisfaction and decide they want to start a family but by this time it is too late and they can’t turn the clock back.’
Grudzinkas believes that a change in the way society handles working mothers is important, stating: 'We should be making it easier for women to start a family while they are at work.’
Scientists behind the study also claimed that men's fertility declines from the age of 25, leading to difficulties by the age of 40.
Homepage: http://www.metro.co.uk/lifestyle/854026-women-are-six-times-more-likely-to-have-fertility-problems-at-35
01.02.2011
What Causes Infertility in Men?
There are several factors that can lead to infertility in men. Learn about possible causes for male infertility and available treatments.
It is estimated that between 10 percent and 20 percent of couples are infertile, which means they are unable to conceive after trying for one year or more. And infertility is not just an issue forwomen; male infertility problems are the cause of roughly one-third of all infertility cases.
Male Infertility: A Variety of Causes
Among the factors that can lead to male infertility are:
Male Infertility: Few Symptoms
There are usually no symptoms or warning signs that a man is infertile, notes Ira Sharlip, MD, clinical professor of urology at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and spokesperson for the American Urological Association.
Men with varicoceles may be aware of a soft mass on the left side of the scrotum. "In rare situations, symptoms of marked hypogonadism may be present, including delayed puberty, low sex drive, decreased body hair, and muscle weakness, among others," says Dr. Sharlip.
Male Infertility: Diagnosis and Treatment
If you and your partner have been trying to conceive for a year (six months if the woman is over age 35) without success, you should consult a doctor. An examination, including an assessment of your medical history, and certain tests will check for problems with male fertility.
A common test for infertility in men is semen analysis, in which a sample of sperm is examined in a laboratory to determine the number and quality of the sperm. Many causes of male infertility can be treated. For instance, blockages in the male reproductive system can often be cleared with minor surgery, and there are procedures to correct varicoceles. In other cases, assisted reproductive techniques such as intrauterine insemination and in vitro fertilization (IVF) may be able to help you and your partner get pregnant.
Male Infertility: Can You Reduce Your Risk?
"There are no specific steps to prevent or optimize fertility," says Sharlip, adding that avoiding recreational drugs and anabolic steroids and maintaining good general health may reduce your risk of fertility problems. "What is good for general health is good for reproductive health."
25.01.2011
IVF clinics to inform patients about birth defect risks
Clinics should warn patients about the increased risk of birth defects for children conceived using fertility treatment, say the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
The HFEA, the body which regulates all UK fertility treatment centres, is planning to release new guidelines. They will ask clinics to inform people seeking treatment about the association between birth defects and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as IVF.
Health problems including low birth weight and neurological conditions such as cerebral palsy are more likely to occur in children conceived through fertility treatment, although the increase is only slight.
The overall risk associated with fertility treatments is small, however. Previous estimates from the HFEA indicate that the risk of developing birth defects increases from a general population level of 2 percent to 2.6 percent with fertility treatment. After a comprehensive review, the HFEA is updating its guidelines on patient information to reflect current scientific research on the possible side effects of ART.
According to the Sunday Times, the HFEA believes that: ‘The birth defects issue is certainly something that clinics should talk to their patients about. At the moment there is not anything in the code of practice [on the subject]. There is an intention to tell patients about possible health risks... so they can make informed choices about their treatment’.
Individual procedures may carry specific warnings under the new guidelines. For example, couples who choose to have ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) - a procedure of particular use in the treatment of male fertility problems - are already told that this procedure may result in children with a higher risk of infertility.
The HFEA now believes that clinics should also warn patients who choose to have embryos screened for disease-associated genetic defects, because the screening process can increase the risk of brain disorders in any resulting children.
Homepage: http://www.bionews.org.uk/page_86106.asp
17.01.2011
Chemicals found in pregnant women may hurt babies
University of California at San Francisco researchers found nearly all U.S. pregnant women carry a variety of chemicals in their bodies, including some used in common consumer products and banned since the 1970s.
The study, published on Jan. 14 in Environmental Health Perspectives showed 99 to 100 percent of 269 pregnant women had had been contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides, perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), phenols, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), phthalates, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and perchlorate out of 163 chemicals.
"It was surprising and concerning to find so many chemicals in pregnant women without fully knowing the implications for pregnancy," said lead author Tracey Woodruff, director of the UCSF Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment.
Among the chemicals, PBDEs used as flame retardants now are banned in many states and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane ( DDT) was banned in the U.S. in 1972.
And Bisphenol A (BPA), used in the food and beverage containers was found in 96 percent of the participants.
Pregnant women exposure to BPA has been linked to health problems, influencing brain development and increasing susceptibility to cancer later in life.
Woodruff said several of these chemicals in pregnant women were at the same concentrations that have been associated with negative effects in children from other studies. In addition, exposure to multiple chemicals that can increase the risk of the same adverse health outcome can have a greater impact than exposure to just one chemical.
And exposure to the chemicals during fetal development may cause preterm birth, birth defects, childhood morbidity and adult disease.
Homepage: http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Non-food/Environment/chemicals_pregnant_women_babies_0116110151.html
