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Tuesday 30 September 2008
Source: American Society for Reproductive Medicine
Certain anti-depressant drugs can harm male fertility by damaging the sperm's DNA makeup.
US scientists at the Cornell Medical Centre in New York looked at 35 men who were prescribed the anti-depressant drug Paroxetine, also known as Seroxat in Britain and Aropax in Australia, over a period of five weeks.
And only four weeks into the trial, they discovered the men's sperm had twice as much genetic damage as at the start of the study with the amount of genetic fragmentation in sperm rising from about 14% before the trial to over 30%.
Lead researcher Dr Peter Schlegel explains:
"If you look at normal sperm counts and motility, the standard measures of fertility, you saw no changes, but if you looked at sperm DNA, the genetic material in more detail you actually found dramatic changes in almost half of the men, normal men, who are on this drug".
The findings reinforce previous research which has already found a link between male infertility and the consumption of certain drugs. The same researchers reported two years ago that the antidepressants citalopram and sertraline reduced sperm counts in men and that their sperm counts returned to normal once they stopped taking the drugs. Other research has also found environmental factors such as exposure to certain chemicals and heat sources can impact on men's fertility.
But the new findings come with a word of caution from psychiatrists who believe male patients to not abruptly stop their medication and seek professional advice before doing so.
Sarah Williams
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Tuesday 30 September 2008
Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Scientists have made another significant breakthrough which has the potential to offer treatment for hundreds of thousands of couples who suffer from so-called unexplained infertility.
A team from Oxford University have for the first time been able to explain and film why some embryos don't implant in the womb.
The researchers discovered two distinct proteins which play a key role in the embryo's latching to the womb. What they found is that once the embryo comes into contact with the womb, chemical signals are sent which allow the embryo's cells to invade the womb and then make connection with the mother's blood supply to form the placenta.
Professor Helen J. Mardon who led the study says that with "many women, attachment and implantation doesn't happen and this is a major cause of infertility. The embryo and womb lining talk to each other, molecularly speaking, which allows them to interact. When the embryo lands on the surface of the uterus wall, it triggers a cascade of signals in both the embryo and uterus. The resulting changes allow the embryo to invade the lining."
The two proteins involved in the crucial latching process belong to the family of Rho GTPases proteins and are called Rac1 and RhoA. Professor Mardon described how they both work: "The first stimulates cells in the womb lining to move and allow the embryo to invade and implant properly while the second inhibits this. We believe this controlled balance of the two proteins is critical for successful implantation of the embryo."
Professor Mardon concluded that if the balance between these two proteins is altered, the cells of the womb lining won't move aside to allow for implantation.
Now that the process behind implantation and its potential failure have been discovered, it could lead to the development of drugs that help embryos implant properly.
It's basically a guide to overcoming infertility naturally, containing useful, well researched, practical and genuine tips to improve the chances of improving implantation and achieving a natural pregnancy. It also includes the equally good eBook Preventing Miscarriage » For more on these eBooks click here » . . . . . . . . 
In the meantine, if you are looking for some immediate answers and solutions to suspected implantation failure, I highly recommend you have a look at The Fertility Plan »
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Monday 22 September 2008
Source: Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Montreal
Obese women could be at greater risk of suffering multiple miscarriages.
New research has found that women who have already miscarried are more likely to miscarry again if they are over weight.
A team from St Mary's Hospital in London surveyed close to 700 women who had suffered a so-called unexplained miscarriage and found that the risk of a recurrent miscarriage increased by 73% among those who were obese.
Lead author and clinical nurse specialist Winnie Lo says the study is "the first to look directly at the link between BMI and recurrent miscarriage. It shows that obese women who experience recurrent miscarriage are at greater risk of subsequent pregnancy loss."
She added that "all women with recurrent miscarriage should be weighed at their first consultation. Those who are found to be obese should be advised regarding the benefits of weight loss in increasing their chances of a successful pregnancy and programs should be in place to help with the weight loss process."
However, one leading endocrinologist has warned obese pregnant women against undertaking crash diets during pregnancy as this has been shown to cause serious problems to the unborn baby.
Sarah Williams, IVFG Reporter
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Monday 15 September 2008
Source: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine.
Natural fertility treatment has been found to be far more effective than IVF.
A study by the University of Utah looked at over 1000 fertility-challenged couples who used natural procreative technology treatment or NPT.
What they found is that 25% of them achieved a successful pregnancy, a success rate higher than average 18.4% for IVF.
The study also found that NPT also resulted in far fewer multiple births with only 4.6% of women becoming pregnant with more than one child compared with 34% rate among couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology including IVF.
The research is that much more significant because it is the first ever into the effectiveness of NPT to be published in a respected peer-reviewed medical journal.
Joseph Stanford from the University of Utah in Salt Lake City who lead the study hopes his research would help overcome the "current information deficit" surrounding NPT.
He told the Sunday Times that "many GPs and obstetricians are not aware of NPT because of a lack of published studies," and that "now physicians can inform themselves of this treatment approach and hopefully recommend it to their patients."
Another fertility expert Phil Boyle who works at a natural fertility clinic in Galway also hopes this research will help doctors refer patients to natural fertility centers because "for some couples, IVF does not work and NPT does."
NPT is also a much cheaper alternative to IVF, costing about 4 times less.
So if you're interested in having a closer look at natural fertility treatments, a good start is The Fertility Plan » which is an excellent and instantly downloadable eBook on the topic. It's basically a guide to overcoming infertility naturally, containing very useful and up-to-the-minute information and tips even I never heard of about achieving a successful natural pregnancy. It also includes a free eBook called Preventing Miscarriage so you'll have all angles covered! For more on The Fertility Plan eBook click here » .jpg)
According to my naturopath who was intrumental in helping me achieve a successful pregnancy, you can take drugs (of the IVF variety) while on herbs, but according to my doctor you can not take herbs while on the drugs. Who is right and who is wrong? Both and neither.
What it comes down to is that when you've put an exorbitant amount of money (equivalent to the down payment on a BMW) in the pocket of a doctor and their clinic but only paid fifty dollars for a bottle of herbs, the strong inclination is to go with what the doctor said. It's a form of looking after your investment, making sure it gets a return. You can gamble with fifty dollars but not five thousand.
There's also the emotional investment. To undertake the rigorous and demanding IVF drug routine and procedures takes a lot of inner strength from you, unlike putting a tablespoon of herbs in a glass of water. So when subjected to the former the inclination is to do it as the booklet requires.
However, in terms of success rates for either approach on its own, there is overwhelming research to support either. It is what you feel comfortable with. I couldn't have thrown myself into the rigors of IVF in the early stages of my struggle to conceive, I just wasn't psychologically prepared for it and, whatever approach you choose, it is extremely important for you to feel right with it, to believe in it.
I have no doubts whatsoever that the herbal regime that I was on until succumbing to IVF played a major role in the success of IVF. The herbs cleaned out and toned out my reproductive system and in that way were immeasurably helpful.
So, IVF herbs vs IVF drugs - both have their usefulness and to my mind both played a role in the conception of my daughter.
To find out how herbs can help prepare for a successful IVF cycle, do have a look at Stacey Roberts' aka "The Baby Maker's" eBook ‘Herbs and IVF' here »
I'm convinced it was her ground-breaking formulas that got me across the line at my first attempt at IVF.
Jodi Panayotov
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What's wrong with this sentence? ‘Fertility Treatments may not produce more babies'.
Well for starters, as the reproductive equivalent of ‘Osama Bin Laden may not have caused September 11', it instantly upends everything those of us struggling to reproduce have believed until now.
In news fresh (9 August 2008) out of Scotland Aberdeen to be specific, researchers studied 580 couples and came to that conclusion. But how did they go about it?
They divided the group into three.
First a placebo group who received no treatment, except, and I can hardly stand this, they were counselled on "the need to have regular sex".
‘And what, doctor, do you mean by regular sex?'
‘You know, sir, the, ah, penis in the, how shall I put it? Er, vagina..yes, vagina. That method.'
Stunned silence as couple look at each other, thinking, who would have thought?
So there was a second group who took Clomid and the other who had IUI (artificial insemination where the sperm is sent kicking and screaming into the womb via syringe).
At this point it must be pointed out that all of the couples had been diagnosed with ‘unexplained infertility', otherwise known as ‘the too-hard-basket'.
It was the results that surprised, well, everyone. Especially the doctors. There were twenty-six babies produced with the help of Clomid, forty-three by IUI and an encouraging thirty-two produced by the people who'd apparently forgotten to have sex until they were reminded.
According to Allan Pacey, from the University of Sheffield, secretary of the British Fertility Society and king of the understatement, "It's not in the realm that you would expect it to be if these treatments were really performing."
Still, he conceded that IUI was useful in certain situations, especially with donor sperm.
Could this mean the end of Clomid as a fertility treatment? No, as it has long been linked to the successful pregnancies of women who have problems ovulating. Yet for others it may be more useful to spend the money on lingerie instead of filling a Clomid script.
During my darkest hours, when I thought I'd never be a mother, I turned to a number of shows for comfort that showed a sizable lapse in judgement on my part.
I have no way to explain it other than I was in an altered state of consciousness and these programs, obviously designed for people like myself, filled a kind of void.
The void was created when I gave up my job, my leisure pursuits and most of my friends in the obsessive pursuit of parenthood and there was something about watching shows like Jerry Springer, where a cast of freaks aired their cataclysmic lives on stage, that distracted me from my own impending madness.
The truth is, I was feeling like a bit of a freak myself and therefore identifying increasingly with his guests. Had there been a show entitled, ‘Women Who Can't Stop Taking Their Temperature and Checking Their Mucous', who knows, I may have signed up. God knows I needed to get out more…
A curious piece of knowledge I unwittingly gained when watching Jerry Springer, was that the vast majority of his guests had achieved parenthood in some shape or dysfunctional form. It didn't matter what their circumstances were, what shape or form their lives took, whether they were a pimp or a paedophile, they had an offspring or ten out there. If my memory serves me correctly there was even a man who had managed to impregnate an unidentified farm animal.
Now clearly either this show or the people who applied to be on it had some secret fertility ingredient that loving couples at IVF clinics missed out on. I don't know what it was but I do intend on studying the show further to find out.
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A guide for relatives, friends and acquaintances who wish to remain relatives, friends and acquaintances:
1. Just relax and it'll happen
2. It (the miscarriage) was meant to be
3. Have you tried having lots of sex?
4. You're trying too hard
5. You just have to try harder
6. Forget about it and it'll happen
7. You've left it too late
8. Don't panic
9. I told you that you should have started earlier
10. I can't imagine what it's like but then I fell pregnant first go with all four of my children
Further explanations that may be necessary for R, F and A's that still don't get it.
To make a point let's substitute the struggle to conceive with the struggle to pay off a steep mortgage, with a few alterations to the above comments.
1. Just relax and it'll happen
2. It (the large mortgage) was meant to be
3. Have you tried earning lots of money?
4. You're trying too hard to pay it
5. You just have to work harder
6. Forget about it and so will the bank
7. You've left it too late - you'll never be debt-free
8. Don't panic even if your house is repossessed
9. I told you you should have bought a house earlier
10. I can't imagine what it's like but then I own four houses and have mortgages on none of them
What are the myths and what are the truths surrounding pregnancy loss?
Miscarriage Myths:
1. It is the woman's fault. New research suggests that it is not just the egg but the sperm that can be defective. For instance, older fathers means older sperm (although nobody told Rupert Murdoch or Rod Stewart) and it can contribute to defective zygotes, a common cause of miscarriage. Similarly men who smoke, take drugs or drink heavily can contribute to miscarriage although this is perhaps compensated for by also having sex a lot and therefore still producing quantities of children equal to or higher than the general population.
2. Long car trips cause miscarriage. This was vehemently told to me by my mother-in-law who was pregnant in the early sixties and this was information being sternly imparted by doctors at the time whilst they were writing thalidomide scripts. If there was any truth to it back then, it may have been to do with the way they made cars then but roads and suspension have come a long way.
3. Lying down can stop miscarriage. I have been vertical, horizontal and on the incline throughout my three miscarriages, but mostly horizontal and I can vouch for the fact that it makes no difference. Once a miscarriage has started there is little you can do but wait and see, as difficult as this is. Obviously if there is just some slight bleeding it is advisable not to persist with concreting the pool or chopping firewood but remaining flat and still achieves nothing but boredom at the least and mental disturbance at the worst.
4. You should just go ‘it was for the best' and get over it. No, everyone has a different response to the loss of a pregnancy. Go with what feels right - if you want to stay in bed for a week, do. It's the only way to heal.
5. If you have one miscarriage you'll have more. The vast majority of women have one miscarriage and then have normal pregnancy/s. I wasn't one of them but you need to keep the faith and keep trying, it's part of the healing process.
Miscarriage Truths:
1. Despite being experienced by hundreds of millions of women worldwide it is one of the least talked about issues, which is why I've discussed it openly in my book In Vitro Fertility Goddess »
2. You cannot stop a miscarriage from happening, nor can any medical practitioner.
3. You are more likely to suffer a miscarriage over the age of 35. The rates are - Over 35 - 25%, Over 40 - 33%, over 45 - at least 50% of pregnancies ending in miscarriage.
4. If you have 3 in a row it is termed ‘Recurrent Miscarriage' and doctors will order tests to see if there is an underlying medical reason as I had.
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Just when you think the odds are against you, think again. This true story is a triumph over everything that shouldn't have happened and did, an extraordinary beating of the odds. It's along the lines of a person cutting off their own head, eating it and surviving - just as strange, but in this case true.
Right. Take a seat while I try and work out where to begin. Pour yourself a drink if you're in between IVF cycles. OK, here goes.
A 57 year old woman, Susan Tollefsen from Romford, East London walks into an IVF clinic in Russia, hoping to have a child with her 46 year old partner. At this point her odds of achieving a pregnancy with IVF are zero with her own eggs, and, using the rates of success in Britain at private clinics treating women over 50, roughly twenty five percent with donor eggs.
She has already tried a few other ‘foreign' clinics over several years without success. She undergoes treatment and has 2 embryos implanted.
The first miracle occurs - she achieves a pregnancy but less than four weeks after transfer starts bleeding and miscarries. The odds of miscarrying at 45 or over are greater than fifty four percent.
Her GP confirms the miscarriage as does a negative home pregnancy test. (HPTs are 99% accurate in the lab but do have a higher rate of false negatives than positives).
Susan reluctantly relinquishes her dream.
Fast forward to twenty-four weeks later when she has been suffering from a swollen abdomen and presents at hospital with what her GP cited as a ‘hard abdominal mass'.
The fear is that she has ovarian cancer - the odds being high for a 57 year old with a swollen abdomen who has never been pregnant. It is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women of this age.
She is fully expecting the sonographer to relay some grave news but instead he says, "Congratulations. You are pregnant." Thirty weeks pregnant to be exact and the baby is healthy.
Susan has now given birth to her first baby, a girl she has named ‘Freya'.
And if that's not a miracle, I'm not sure what is.