Letrozole Co-treatment not better for Infertile Women Over 40

Unfortunately, a significant decline in reproduction success occurs as women get older. This includes poor egg quality, reduction in recruitment of eggs, and a reduction in response to internal and external hormones. In some cases, there have been advances in fertility treatments to compensate for these losses in reproductive success. One commonly used treatment is…

Body Mass Index and the Risk of Recurrent Miscarriage

Recurrent miscarriage is defined as 3 or more consecutive miscarriages . This condition affects 1% of fertile couples and in 50% of cases, the cause remains undiagnosed. Because of this, it remains one of the most distressing and stressful problems affecting couples trying to conceive. Recently, it has been suggested that body mass index (BMI)…

Birth defects higher in older and younger women

With an overall prevalence of 3%-5%, babies born with birth defects are the leading cause of infant death in the United States. Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal cause for birth defects. The most common non-chromosomal birth defects are congenital heart defects, cleft lip and palate, and abdominal wall defects (gastroschisis or omphalocele). New…

Infertility Linked to Breast and Ovarian Cancer

Numerous studies have been done in the past trying to determine the relationship between infertility and some types of cancer in women. Some of these suggest that the fertility medicines used during treatment are responsible for an increased risk in breast and ovarian cancer. Other studies contradict these findings and say that the drugs themselves…

First Born Boys May Increase Risk of Miscarriage

A study done previously by a Danish recurrent miscarriage clinic observed patients referred from 1986 to 1999 and found that firstborn boys opposed to firstborn girls are far more frequent in mothers with secondary recurrent miscarriage. Also, a firstborn boy was correlated to a less favorable pregnancy potential. In the 14-year follow-up done by the…

Sex of Infant linked to Exposure to PCBs in Uterus

With the changing environment and the continual development of new products with new materials, it is no surprise that people are more worried about their exposure to chemicals than ever. Chemicals are in everything we use. Some of these chemicals can have certain adverse effects on infertility, miscarriage or even the success of treatments such…

Court Decides Pregnancy Discrimination Includes Infertility

Women who undergo fertility treatments know how time consuming and sometimes unpredictable the process can be. Because of the need for frequent monitoring, blood checks, and sonograms, working women find their schedules at times hard to manage. It can be very frustrating trying to balance the frequent medical appointments with the stress of their normal…

Diabetes and Weight Affect Male Fertility

Several studies have shown a link between female infertility and obesity. Female diabetes has been linked to miscarriage and birth defects. Little data has been published on the effect of male weight and infertility. A new study shows diabetes and being overweight has a negative effect on male fertility.Diabetes is a disease associated with high…

Miscarriage history raises risk for baby chromosome abnormalities

Background Approximately 10-15% of recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage. The main cause of miscarriage is attributed to chromosomal abnormalities in the embryos. Approximately 70-80% of miscarriages occur due to chromosomal defects in the embryo. Unfortunately, as women age, their eggs age as well. The older an egg gets, the greater the chance for chromosomal abnormalities…

New study: Coffee, alcohol or cigarettes reduce the chances of pregnancy

Over the last 20 years, there have been numerous studies that have looked at the impact of lifestyle on fertility and miscarriage. Several studies in the 1980s and 1990s have shown that caffeine reduces fertility, the ability to get pregnant and increases the risk of miscarriage . More recently, a large, well performed study found…

Herbal supplements may cause lead poisoning

Background A recent study by the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey shows that herbal supplements appeared to cause an increase in blood levels of lead among women of childbearing age. The participants were men and women 20 years and older. With the widespread use of these so called “natural” alternative medicines in the United…

The end of fertility drug injections?

For the last 30 years, the medications needed for IVF have been given by injection. Initially, the injections were intramuscular. More recently, more advanced fertility drugs are now given by subcutaneous injections . Subcutaneous injections use a smaller needle which is also thinner. This results in less discomfort to the patient. however, a needle is…

Endometriosis linked to freckles and moles

Recent research presented at the World Congress of Endometriosis suggests that women with freckles, moles and easily-burned skin are more likely to suffer from endometriosis .   Endometriosis is a problem in which the tissue which normally gows inside the uterine lining, grows outside of the uterus. It is estimated that 6% of reproductive aged…

Vitamin supplements do not increase pregnancy rates in women with endometriosis

A study published in March 2008 has determined that women with endometriosis who took high dose anti-oxidants did not show any improvement in their pregnancy rates. Oxidative stress is a condition which occurs when the production of free radicals in the human body exceeds the body’s ability to neutralize and eliminate them. Oxidative stress can…

New recommendations about asthma and pregnancy

Washington, DC — Pregnant asthmatic women should continue to use their asthma medication in the lowest dose possible to manage symptoms during pregnancy, according to a new Practice Bulletin released today by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Women with moderate or severe asthma should also be monitored throughout pregnancy for fetal growth…