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Hopeful Grandparents Paying For Fertility Treatments – Video

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Fertility Fiesta

15 May 2012 Last updated at 19:06 ET

New evidence has emerged that suggests chemicals routinely found in the environment could be damaging fertility in some men.

Researchers tested sheep that had been exposed to chemicals such as cosmetics, detergents and pollutants.

They found “abnormalities that could result in low sperm counts in 42% of the animals”.

The study, by Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen Universities, was published in the International Journal of Andrology.

All life on the planet is constantly exposed to a range of naturally-occuring and man-made chemicals.

Some of the man-made chemicals can interfere with communication systems within the body and potentially have adverse effects on health and wellbeing.

The key now is to work out why these everyday chemicals affect some individuals more than others

It has been suggested that some may also be responsible for lowering male sperm count and could possibly explain the rise in demand for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) in humans.

The Scots universities team was joined in its research by scientists from the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA).

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Chemicals 'damage male fertility'

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) May 16, 2012

Fertility Centers of Illinois is hosting the 9th annual Midwest Reproductive Symposium (MRS) showcased in Chicago May 17-19th, 2012. Global industry leaders in the field of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, will be present to discuss the latest concepts, techniques, and treatment modalities relevant to the practice of advanced reproductive medicine. Physicians and industry professionals across the United States and from Canada, Russia, Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Turkey and United Arab Emirates will be present.

Topics of study include scientific advancements in genetic screening and embryo analysis. Current capabilities now allow physicians to test embryos prior to in-vitro fertilization in order to screen for genetic abnormalities such as Down Syndrome. Sophisticated analysis techniques can also prevent miscarriage and aid in healthy pregnancy.

Dr. Angeline Beltsos, medical director of Fertility Centers of Illinois and MRS chairperson, explains that symposium curriculum will encompass all aspects of treatment. We will work together to improve patient treatment outcomes by taking a close, collaborative look at several facets of infertility treatment, she says. The Midwest Reproductive Symposium is an opportunity for participants to advance the care that we provide to our patients and take a big step forward to the communities that we serve.

Furthermore, we have added a new program to provide a comprehensive approach to complete medical care: The Nurse Practicum for nurses heading to Chicago from all over the US and Canada, as well as The Business Minds program for fertility clinic business managers. Nurses will be educated on providing a superior patient experience and improving patient treatment outcomes. Business managers will join forces to review best practices and provide the best possible patient experience.

The MRS will take place at the Drake Hotel in downtown Chicago. For more information visit http://midwestreproductionsymposium.org.

# # #

Fertility Centers of Illinois, S.C., is one of the nation’s leading fertility treatment practices, providing advanced reproductive endocrinology services in the Chicago area for more than 30 years. FCI physicians, embryologists and support staff are stringently chosen based on educational background, medical skills and their ability to collaborate. With a team of 11 nationally and internationally recognized reproductive physicians who treat thousands of patients each year, the practice has earned a reputation for overcoming hard-to-solve fertility issues. FCI is dedicated to medical and clinical excellence and continues to invest in the latest technologies and research. FCI offers a comprehensive range of fertility treatment options including intrauterine insemination, in vitro fertilization, donor egg, gestational carrier, and preimplantation genetic diagnosis, as well as extensive resources to address financial and emotional needs. Fostering a culture for continuous innovation has made FCI home to the annual Midwest Reproductive Symposium which attracts experts in the field of reproductive endocrinology from around the world. FCI has 10 offices conveniently located throughout the Chicagoland area (Buffalo Grove, Chicago/River North, Crystal Lake, Glenview, Highland Park, Hoffman Estates, Lindenhurst, Naperville, Oakbrook Terrace, and Orland Park). FCI is a member of the Attain Fertility Network which provides discounted fertility treatment programs. For more information visit http://www.fcionline.com

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Fertility Centers of Illinois Hosting Midwest Reproductive Symposium May 17-19

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Everyday chemicals impacting on male fertility, research on sheep suggests

Customer service, medical testing, manufacturing are just some of the things that are outsourced to India. Some call it globalization, while others cry exploitation.

Now add to the list — surrogacy. A growing number of American women are finding women in India to carry their babies, myFOXphoenix reported.

“My doctor basically told me you have to adopt or choose surrogacy,” said Adrienne Arieff.

After 3 miscarriages, 36-year-old Adrienne turned to surrogacy. Her search for a surrogate would lead around the world to India.

“The contracts are much more straightforward, it’s more of a one stop shop, just much less red tape, and I had already gone through so much. So something as clich as just having a little bit more certainty after such an emotional roller coaster was sounding rather appealing.”

So Adrienne traveled to India to the Ankansha Infertility Clinic. There she met her surrogate, a 26- year-old Indian woman, Vaina, a happily married mother of three from an impoverished village. The two connected immediately.

“She did say to me, I want you to have what I have, a family.”

After in vitro-fertilization in India, her embryos were transferred to Vaina.

Weeks later, back in the states, Adrienne learned the pregnancy was a success.

Vaina, on the other side of the globe, was carrying Adrienne’s babies.

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Fertility-frustrated women turning to India

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Birth-Defect Risk Higher With Fertility Treatments, Study Shows

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Household chemicals 'causing cancer, reducing fertility'

Obese women who lost weight while undergoing fertility treatment had higher pregnancy success rates, Sydney researchers have found.

The study of 49 overweight women undertaking assisted reproductive technology found those who took part in a 12-week weight-loss program had higher pregnancy rates and fewer cycles before they fell pregnant, and therefore saved money.

Twenty-seven women took part in the 12-week intervention, which involved a very low-energy diet for the first six weeks followed by a low-energy diet.

A control group of 22 women received recommendations for weight loss.

The intervention group lost an average of 6.6 kilograms and nine centimetres from their waistlines, compared with 1.8kg and 1cm in the control group.

The rate of pregnancy in the intervention group was 48 per cent, compared to 14 per cent in the control group.

The number of assisted reproductive cycles required to achieve pregnancy was lower in the intervention group, while maternal and fetal risk factors also declined. There were metabolic, hormonal and psychological improvements in the group, and a saving of $9,035 per pregnancy.

The research, by Kyra Sim from the University of Sydney’s Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise and Eating Disorders, was presented this week at the 19th European Congress on Obesity in Lyon, France.

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Weight loss improves fertility

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Now, fertility experts pick ‘best’ sperm

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Fertility Treatment Abroad: launch of major new guide for those facing infertility

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Cancer survivor spreads fertility preservation message

May 08, 2012 13:19 PM

Female Fertility Rate Remains High In Mozambique

MAPUTO, May 8 (Bernama) — Mozambican demographics remains characterised by a very high birth rate with a fertility rate of 5.9 children for every female of childbearing age.

Alarmingly, the latest Demographics and Health Survey (IDS) undertaken by the National Statistics Institute (INE) in 2011 and the preliminary results released last week show that far from declining, the fertility rate is increasing.

The last two such surveys carried out in 1997 and 2003 showed fertility rates of 5.6 and 5.5 children for every female.

The fertility rate is much higher in the countryside (6.6 children per woman) than in the urban areas (4.5).

As might be expected from these figures, contraception use remains low. Just 11.6 per cent of females aged between 15 and 49 reported using any form of contraception.

Three times as many urban women (21.6 per cent) used contraception as did rural women (7.4 per cent).

The highest rates of contraceptive use are reported in Maputo City (35.6 per cent) and Maputo province (33.6 per cent), and the lowest in Cabo Delgado in the far north (3.1 per cent), and the central province of Zambezia (4.7 per cent).

Education has a major effect on a female’s fertility rate. 31.6 per cent of women who have secondary or higher education use contraception, compared with 11.3 per cent of women who never advanced beyond primary education, and 5.5 per cent of those who have no education at all.

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Female Fertility Rate Remains High In Mozambique

Public release date: 7-May-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Sheri Ledbetter sledbett@chapman.edu 714-289-3143 Chapman University

ORANGE, Calif. A groundbreaking study lead by Chapman University professor Brennan Peterson, Ph.D. on fertility awareness of American college students will be published in the May 5th edition of Human Reproductiona top-tier international journal in reproductive biology. It is the first such study on fertility awareness among American undergraduate university students. In the USA, the postponement of childbearing is reflective of contemporary social norms of delaying marriage, pursuing education and securing economic stability prior to having a baby. However the awareness of the impact of age on fertility among American college students is low.

Dr. Peterson, an expert in infertility, and the lead author on the study, notes, “The findings from this study show that while undergraduate university students in our sample believed they are educated about fertility issues, they consistently overestimate the ages at which fertility declines in women, as well as their chances of success if they used fertility treatments to achieve pregnancy. It is important that men and women are educated regarding fertility issues so they make informed reproductive decisions, rather than relying on inaccurate information which may ultimately result in involuntary childlessness.”

Infertility or the inability to conceive or give birth to a child after one year of regular sexual relations without the use of contraceptives impacts between 80 million to 160 million people in the world today. In the United States, 4.3 million married couples (15%) have been diagnosed with infertility.

For women, fertility rapidly declines between ages 35 and 37. Couples who unknowingly delay pregnancy past a woman’s window of fertility may be faced with involuntary childlessness and unexpected cope with the stresses of infertility. When a couple is diagnosed with infertility they are likely to experience unexpected stress, increased depression and changes to their social family networks. These stresses, coupled with the burdens of fertility treatments, can be an enormous challenge for couples which often takes years to resolve.

Infertility has many causes which are often not preventable (e.g., irregular ovulation, low sperm count). However, avoiding the decline in fertility associated with age is well within a person’s control. Despite this, many young men and women are unaware of the exact nature of the relationship between fertility and age and new research conducted at Chapman University suggests American college students lack fundamental awareness of reproductive issues as well as the impact of age on fertilityoverestimating their chances to get pregnant at ages when pregnancy is unlikely. For example, young people see celebrities having children into their 40′s and conclude that they can wait and “simply” get fertility treatment to get pregnant later in life.

###

The research, called Fertility awareness and parenting attitudes among American male and female undergraduate university students (HUMREP 11 1203.R1) is published in Human Reproduction doi:10.1093/humrep/des011. The online publication is attached. The article also appears in the May 5th version of the print journal.

Consistently ranked among the top universities in the West, Chapman University provides a uniquely personalized and interdisciplinary educational experience to highly qualified students. Our programs encourage innovation, creativity and collaboration, and focus on developing global citizen-leaders who are distinctively prepared to improve their community and their world. Visit www.chapman.edu.

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New study published on fertility awareness among American university students

SUNNYVALE, Calif.

Hopeful parents are willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars on fertility treatments, but there is an old fashion method that is getting a high tech twist.

While some parents are able to have a baby the old-fashioned way, for other Bay Area couples, getting pregnant can become difficult and stressful as careers delay parenthood and biological clocks tick away.

“They couldn’t ever tell me exactly what was wrong with me, they basically said I was too old,” said 41-year-old Kirsten Moore.

She and her husband, Dan, have spent three years trying to make a baby. They tried herbalists, acupuncture and then multiple rounds of assisted fertility treatments.

“Early on in the process our biggest problem was finding out exactly when she was ovulating it was really hard to pinpoint the date,” said Dan.

For generations, women have used body temperature to track fertility. A woman’s lowest low-temperature of the month signals ovulation. But catching that precise time can be tricky.

KTVU Health and Science Editor John Fowler found a potential high-tech solution. It is a fertility monitoring service called Duo-Fertility.

Co-developer Oriane Chausiaux has a Ph.D. in the genetics of infertility. Chausiaux and a team of analysts are currently watching the ovulation cycles of a population of over 2,000 woman to build a database to compare the cycle of new clients.

By comparing a woman’s cycle to others, they are able to predict the best time to conceive. Duo-Fertility claims to have an independent study the accuracy of their program which they say is 100%.

Continued here:
New fertility monitoring service boasts remarkable success rate

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Fertility treatment babies prone to serious defects: study

In IVF treatment the sperm and eggs are mixed together in a dish and the sperm breaks into the egg on its own in order for fertilisation to occur.

In ICSI, the embryologist injects a single sperm directly through the shell of the egg and depositing it inside. This means that abnormal sperm, which would normally be filtered out by the process, are able to fertilise the egg.

The research led by the Robson Institute at the University of Adelaide, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, examined 308,000 births in South Australia over a period of 18 years.

Associate Professor Michael Davies of the University of Adelaide, lead author of the study said: “A history of infertility, either with or without assisted conception, was significantly associated with birth defects.”

“While factors associated with the causes of infertility explained the excess risk associated with IVF, the increased risk for a number of other treatments could not readily be explained by patient factors,” he said.

The study found the unadjusted risk of a birth defect was 5.8 per cent following natural conception, compared with 7.2 per cent for those following IVF, and 9.9 per cent for those after ICSI.

While there was no significant difference in the risk between IVF and natural conception, once other factors were taken into account, the risks to those born following ICSI remained significantly higher.

The increased risk of major defect with ICSI was 57 per cent, Prof Davies said, although the absolute size of the risk remained relatively small.

Dr Allan Pacey, fertility expert at the University of Sheffield and Chairman of the British Fertility Society, said: “The study suggests that whilst babies born from IVF are as healthy as their naturally conceived counterparts, there is still some residual risk to babies born through ICSI that currently cannot be explained.”

Professor Peter Illingworth, an IVF consultant and Associate Professor with the University of Sydney, said the research had been unable to establish why the risks were only found in children born via ICSI a finding which ran contrary to previous large studies in Europe.

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Fertility injections linked with birth defects

Dr. Jon Barrett sees babies created by the nation’s fertility industry every day babies born so prematurely they fit easily into one hand.

The sickest of the multiples are born between 24 and 26 weeks gestation and weigh about 600 grams. “Think of a pound of butter,” says Barrett, chief of maternal-fetal medicine at Toronto’s Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

The babies need to be intubated. Three to four lines need to be inserted into them for feeding and for fluid. They spend months in intensive care facing risks of catastrophic brain bleeds, lung damage and infections.

One in 10 will be left with a permanent disability, such as cerebral palsy, deafness or blindness.

Every year in Canada, dozens of babies die or suffer serious health problems as the result of being part of a multiple pregnancy resulting from in vitro fertilization.

Canada has one of the highest rates of multiple births following IVF in the world an unenviable honour partially driven by doctors who continue to transfer more than one embryo at a time during IVF despite knowing the risks to women and their unborn babies.

In a newly published position statement, the IVF Medical Directors of Canada say they are unanimous in supporting efforts by clinics to reduce their multiple pregnancy rates by performing more single-embryo transfers.

The greatest barrier, they say, are patients.

When couples have sometimes mortgaged their houses to pay for the cost of IVF, which averages $12,000 per treatment, the pressure is to transfer more embryos to “maximize” the success of a single cycle of IVF. For many couples, twins are the “preferred and often requested outcome,” the medical directors say.

The fertility specialists say their goal is to achieve a healthy singleton pregnancy and live birth, full stop. Yet clinics continue to transfer two, three or more embryos at a time. In 2010, Canada’s 28 private fertility clinics reported 1,274 multiple pregnancies, including 1,193 twins, 76 triplets and five quads.

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Fertility doctors back efforts to reduce multiple IVF births

Test-tube babies have higher rates of birth defects, and doctors have long wondered: Is it because of certain fertility treatments or infertility itself? A large new study from Australia suggests both may play a role.

Compared to those conceived naturally, babies that resulted from simple IVF, or in vitro fertilization — mixing eggs and sperm in a lab dish — had no greater risk of birth defects once factors such as the mom’s age and smoking were taken into account.

However, birth defects were more common if treatment included injecting a single sperm into an egg, which is done in many cases these days, especially if male infertility is involved. About 10 percent of babies born this way had birth defects versus 6 percent of those conceived naturally, the study found.

It could be that the extra jostling of egg and sperm does damage. Or, other problems lurk in the genes of sperm so defective they must be forced to fertilize an egg.

“I don’t want to scare people,” because the vast majority of babies are born healthy, said the study’s leader, Michael Davies of the University of Adelaide.

Couples could use simple IVF without sperm injection, freeze the embryos and implant only one or two at a time, he said. All of those can cut the chance of a birth defect.

The study was published online Saturday by the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at a fertility conference in Barcelona, Spain. Health agencies in Australia

More than 3.7 million babies are born each year through assisted reproduction. Methods include everything from drugs to coax the ovaries to make eggs to artificial insemination and IVF. Fertility treatments account for about 4 percent of births in Australia and as many as 8 percent of them in Denmark, where costs are widely covered, Davies said.

In the United States, more than 60,000 babies were born in 2009 from 146,000 IVF attempts. About three-quarters of them used ICSI, or intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

ICSI was developed because of male infertility. But half the time, it was not done for that reason but to improve the odds that at least some embryos will be created from an IVF attempt. Many clinics do it in all cases.

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Study links fertility treatment, birth defect risk

Babies conceived with infertility treatment methods are more likely to have certain birth defects than babies who are conceived naturally, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Australian researchers looked at medical records nearly 300,000 babies born in Australia — more than 4,000 of whom were conceived through an assisted fertility method — to see if babies born using the various assisting methods were more likely to have birth defects than babies who were conceived naturally.

Eight percent of the babies conceived through assistance were born with birth defects such as heart, genital, kidney, lung and muscle problems, compared to nearly 6 percent of babies who were conceived naturally, the study found. Those conceived through fertility assistance were also more likely to have cerebral palsy.

More than 6 million women of childbearing age in the U.S. have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ISI), a so-called assisted reproductive technology in which a single sperm is injected into a removed egg and then transferred back to the uterus was the most common type of method associated with birth defects, the study found. The oral hormone pill commonly known as Clomid also increased the risk for defects.

Nearly five percent of infants are conceived using fertility medication, according to the CDC.

Babies conceived though in vitro fertilization (IVF), which is the most common type of assisted reproductive technology, did not have a higher risk for birth defects. Low-dose hormones also did not raise risk.

An estimated 1 percent of all infants born in the U.S. every year are conceived using assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF and ISI, according to the CDC.

The number of women turning to assisted reproductive methods to help them conceive has skyrocketed over the last decade because more women are waiting until they’re older to have their first baby.

The increased risk of birth defects may be more likely caused by the identified infertility rather than the assisted methods used to help women get pregnant, according to Dr. James Goldfarb, director of the Fertility Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland

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Fertility Methods Increase Birth Defect Risk

Babies conceived with infertility treatment methods are more likely to have certain birth defects than babies who are conceived naturally, according to a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Australian researchers looked at medical records nearly 300,000 babies born in Australia — more than 4,000 of whom were conceived through an assisted fertility method — to see if babies born using the various assisting methods were more likely to have birth defects than babies who were conceived naturally.

Eight percent of the babies conceived through assistance were born with birth defects such as heart, genital, kidney, lung and muscle problems, compared to nearly 6 percent of babies who were conceived naturally, the study found. Those conceived through fertility assistance were also more likely to have cerebral palsy.

More than 6 million women of childbearing age in the U.S. have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ISI), a so-called assisted reproductive technology in which a single sperm is injected into a removed egg and then transferred back to the uterus was the most common type of method associated with birth defects, the study found. The oral hormone pill commonly known as Clomid also increased the risk for defects.

Nearly five percent of infants are conceived using fertility medication, according to the CDC.

Babies conceived though in vitro fertilization (IVF), which is the most common type of assisted reproductive technology, did not have a higher risk for birth defects. Low-dose hormones also did not raise risk.

An estimated 1 percent of all infants born in the U.S. every year are conceived using assisted reproductive technologies such as IVF and ISI, according to the CDC.

The number of women turning to assisted reproductive methods to help them conceive has skyrocketed over the last decade because more women are waiting until they’re older to have their first baby.

The increased risk of birth defects may be more likely caused by the identified infertility rather than the assisted methods used to help women get pregnant, according to Dr. James Goldfarb, director of the Fertility Center at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland

Read the original here:
Fertility Methods Raise Risk of Birth Defects

In IVF treatment the sperm and eggs are mixed together in a dish and the sperm breaks into the egg on its own in order for fertilisation to occur.

In ICSI, the embryologist injects a single sperm directly through the shell of the egg and depositing it inside. This means that abnormal sperm, which would normally be filtered out by the process, are able to fertilise the egg.

The research led by the Robson Institute at the University of Adelaide, and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, examined 308,000 births in South Australia over a period of 18 years.

Associate Professor Michael Davies of the University of Adelaide, lead author of the study said: “A history of infertility, either with or without assisted conception, was significantly associated with birth defects.”

“While factors associated with the causes of infertility explained the excess risk associated with IVF, the increased risk for a number of other treatments could not readily be explained by patient factors,” he said.

The study found the unadjusted risk of a birth defect was 5.8 per cent following natural conception, compared with 7.2 per cent for those following IVF, and 9.9 per cent for those after ICSI.

While there was no significant difference in the risk between IVF and natural conception, once other factors were taken into account, the risks to those born following ICSI remained significantly higher.

The increased risk of major defect with ICSI was 57 per cent, Prof Davies said, although the absolute size of the risk remained relatively small.

Dr Allan Pacey, fertility expert at the University of Sheffield and Chairman of the British Fertility Society, said: “The study suggests that whilst babies born from IVF are as healthy as their naturally conceived counterparts, there is still some residual risk to babies born through ICSI that currently cannot be explained.”

Professor Peter Illingworth, an IVF consultant and Associate Professor with the University of Sydney, said the research had been unable to establish why the risks were only found in children born via ICSI a finding which ran contrary to previous large studies in Europe.

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Fertility injections linked to birth defects

WOMEN and couples seeking fertility treatment will no longer need to travel outside Whittlesea for vital surgical procedures.

City Fertility Centre has expanded its network to include Northpark Private Hospital in Bundoora and will now operate on site.

City Fertility is an independently owned centre with clinics in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland.

Northpark Hospital chief executive Gaylyn Cairns said the hospital previously offered a fertility clinic, but patients were forced to travel into the city for surgery.

City Fertility specialist and Northpark obstetrician Dr Alex Eskander will supervise the service and provide advanced laproscopic surgery for complex endometriosis treatment.

Surgical procedures will be conducted in the hospitals five new operating theatres.

Two years ago there were no services for fertility treatment (at Northpark) and now 400-plus couples are seen per year, Ms Cairns said.

Approximately 30 per cent then require IVF treatment.

The hospital is now able to offer a service to families that commences prior to conception, state-of-the-art invitro fertilisation treatment, antenatal care, a unique birthing experience and access to our internationally renowned mother and baby services.

Ms Cairns said Whittleseas soaring population had created demand for additional fertility services.

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Fertility services boost in Whittlesea

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Study ties fertility treatment, birth defect risk

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Fertility treatment babies prone to 'serious defects'