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Low glycemic diet during pregnancy found not to have effect on macrosomia.

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Posted by Health News Watch on January 2, 2013 at 2:07 pm

A study completed in 2012 has reported that although a low glycemic diet during pregnancy does have many health benefits, it has not been found to decrease the incidence of macrosomia.

Macrosomia is when a newborn has excessive birth weight. Fetal macrosomia occurs in the second pregnancy of about one third of women. A newborn’s birth weight is influenced by the mother’s age, ethnicity and previous deliveries of a large infant.  There is also large evidence suggesting that there is a strong link between excessive weight gain during pregnancy and increased birth weight.

Presently there are one billion adults in the world’s population who are overweight.  When a woman’s has a high maternal BMI there is a high chance she will give birth to a larger infant. However, it has also been observed that the weight a woman gains during pregnancy is independently related to the weight of the newborn on delivery. Therefore the study wanted to put women on a carbohydrate controlled diet and see did the weight they did/did not gain affect the birth weight of the infant. Their main reason for studying this cause and effect is that increased birth weights are associated with increased health risks in later life for children. One of these health risks is childhood obesity.

A trial was carried out, measuring the incidence of macrosomia in women on a low glycemic index diet versus those who did not diet.

A low glycemic diet is carried out by eating foods that have a low glycemic index. All carbohydrates increase blood sugar levels, but their effect varies.  Carbohydrate effects on blood sugar are categorized according to the glucose response they induce; their glycemic index. Low glycemic foods have a low glucose response, and high glycemic foods have a high glucose response. People on a low glycemic diet try to eat more carbohydrates that have a low glycemic index.

The results of this study found that a low glycemic index diet did have some health benefits for mother and newborn, however it did little to decrease the incidence of macrosomia.

The benefits of a low glycemic index diet were shown in the lower incidence of induced labor and primary postpartum hemorrhage in the women who followed the lower glycemic index diet. The diet also had a positive effect on maternal weight gain as well as maternal glucose tolerance.

The growing problem of obesity needs an intervention, or rather a combination of interventions. Although this particular diet was not shown to be sufficient in preventing macrosomia in newborns, it does have other benefits for women during pregnancy.

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Manage Stress To Improve Fertility

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Posted by Health News Watch on November 27, 2012 at 11:26 am

According to a University of California, Berkeley, study, stress can prevent successful conception. Although infertility can add to the list of a couple’s stresses, managing stress is of utmost importance, especially before spending money visiting a fertility specialist or on the cost of IVF.

The National Survey of Family Growth estimates that one in eight couples struggle with infertility. For about one fifth of these couples (20 percent), the cause of infertility is unknown.

The research team at UC Berkeley, found that stress increases levels of the stress hormones, glucocorticoids such as cortisol, that restrict the body’s main sex hormone, the gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). This in effect suppresses male sperm count, female ovulation, and interest in sexual activity for both sexes.

The study was conducted on rats, and if results can be applied to humans, then fertility doctors may hold a key into explaining certain couple’s unexplained infertility. In humans, it is known that stress can lead to reduced sex drive, and now potentially reduced fertility. Even those couples undergoing infertility treatments are affected by stress, as it can prevent their effectiveness.

So couples dealing with unexplained infertility don’t need to visit the egg donor bank just yet. Rather, there are certain lifestyle choices they can make to manage stress. The following are some simple stress management practices that can improve a couple’s chances of successful pregnancy:

  • Exercise regularly.
  • Practice relaxation techniques, such as yoga or meditation.
  • Eat a balanced and healthy diet.
  • Make sure to get enough sleep and rest, as lack of sleep can aggravate stress.
  • Talk to trusted person, either a friend, partner, or a psychologist.
  • Avoid dependence on alcohol, sugar, or caffeine.
  • Keep a positive attitude, and recognize the difference between things that can and cannot be controlled.

Although the UC Berkeley study was conducted on rats, their findings indicate that increased levels of stress inhibit fertility for both males and females. For that reason, many couples can work together on the above stress management practices to improve their chances of successful pregnancy.

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Antidepressants May Affect Pregnancy

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Posted by Health News Watch on November 2, 2012 at 3:00 pm

The consumption of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – common antidepressants – may negatively affect pregnancy. According to a recent study by researchers from the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, SSRIs may increase the risk of miscarriages, premature births, neonatal health complications, and neurobehavioral abnormalities, such as autism.

Antidepressants are prescribed to treat depression,anxiety disorders, and certain personality disorders. A common SSRI antidepressant known to most people is Prozac.

Prozac and other SSRIs can lessen the effects of depression and anxiety by affecting chemical messengers in the brain, called neurotransmitters, that communicate between brain cells.

The chemical messengers can then prevent the reabsorption of serotonin, which is known as the “feel good” hormone. Changing the balance of serotonin levels can then help brain cells send and receive chemical messages that can promote a better mood.

The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, reviewed previous studies regarding of antidepressant use. Results from the review show that antidepressant usage has increased 400 percent over the past 20 years, in particular for women in their reproductive age (18-44). The researchers also found that SSRIs decreased pregnancy rates for women, and long-term SSRI use may be linked with premature birth, low birth weight, and neonatal behavioral disorders.

Although further research is required to confirm the findings, the researches recommend that extreme caution be used when prescribing SSRIs to both pregnant women and women within a reproductive age since there is some evidence of resulting pregnancy complications. Furthermore, there is no proven benefit that SSRIs are beneficial for pregnancy, so the risks of consumption outweigh any potential benefits.

According to the Center for Disease control, 1 out of 10 adults in the United States report depression.

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Getting Pregnant After 40

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Posted by Suzy Mage on October 18, 2012 at 10:35 am

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, approximately fifty percent of women over 40 have complications associated with fertility. However, it is becoming increasingly popular for women these days to get pregnant later in life – whether for work, relationship, or other personal reasons.

The chances of successful pregnancy decline naturally with age. After 40, the chances of successful pregnancy are approximately five percent, and after 45 many experts agree that it’s near impossible without a trip to an egg donor bank. The following are some reasons why pregnancy over 40 can be tough.

Egg supply

A woman’s egg supply decreases naturally as she ages.  At puberty, a women generally has around 300,000 to 400,000 eggs. Each each, approximately 15,000 are lost. Low ovarian reserve is a common cause of female infertility, and there is a steep decline that occurs in egg supply when women are in their 40s. According to a study published in Fertility and Sterility, women who were 40 had a 25 percent chance of un-assisted pregnancy. The chances drop to 10 percent when women turn 43, and fall to approximately 2 percent by the age of 44. In addition to lower supply, the remaining eggs have a higher chance of chromosomal complications that could increase the risk for miscarriage and birth defects. In that same study, the miscarriage rate was 24 percent for women who were 40, 38 percent for women aged 43, and 54 percent for women who were 44.

Health complications

Women in their 40s are more likely to develop health complications during pregnancy that can affect the outcome. High blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy, as well as placental problems and birth complications, are common complications. In addition, older women have higher risks of delivering a low birth weight or premature baby, and stillbirth rates are higher. The chances of genetic complications in the baby increase as well.  For example, the odds of birthing a baby with Down syndrome is one in 100 at age 40, and just five years later at 45 it’s one in 30.

Age of the partner

Although not all, many women over 40 have partners of similar age. For men, sperm quality worsens with age. Also, there is a higher rate of genetic defects for older men than there is for younger men. Research has found possible links between the age of a father and genetic complications including schizophrenia and Down syndrome.

Getting pregnant after 40 is not impossible, but chances of successful pregnancy vastly decrease as women ages. These and other reasons are why adopting embryos is so popular for older women, although pregnancy using their own eggs is still a possibility .

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Could Womb-Scraping Facilitate Embryo Transfer, Increase IVF Success?

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Posted by Amanda Guerrero on October 16, 2012 at 4:00 pm

Embryo transferCouples that have gone through in vitro fertilization (IVF) know that pregnancies don’t just happen overnight. In fact, a woman can undergo IVF treatments for weeks, months and sometimes even years before a successful embryo transfer occurs.  British researchers, however, have brought new hope to IVF recipients with news that a quick, painless and inexpensive procedure could double the chances of becoming pregnant.

As part of a study published in the journal Reproductive Biomedicine Online, researchers found that women who undergo a procedure known as womb-scratching (or endometrial injury) one month before starting IVF treatments are twice as likely to become pregnant.

Researchers suggest that even a small scratch can increase the uterus’ receptivity to an implanted embryo; however, there are no concrete reasons yet as to why this occurs. Among the many still unanswered questions is why the procedure needs to be performed a month before starting IVF.

According to fertilityauthority.com, womb-scratching takes about 15 minutes to do and can cost approximately $200. If further research proves this to increase IVF success, it will likely become a viable and inexpensive option for women wanting to increase the success of an embryo transfer or other IVF-assisted pregnancy.

Interested in learning more about whether womb-scratching could increase the likelihood of pregnancy during your IVF cycle? Contact an IVF NY specialist or other assisted reproduction expert in your area to find out if the procedure is right for you.

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Egg donation allows women with premature ovarian failure to give birth

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Posted by Health News Watch on September 25, 2012 at 11:53 am

Premature ovarian failure (POF), also known as primary ovarian insufficiency, occurs when the normal functioning of the ovaries stops in a woman under the age of 40. Premature ovarian failure affects approximately 1 percent of the female population.

Women who are diagnosed with POF no longer ovulate and are unable to release eggs. However, the disorder is not permanent; approximately 5 percent of women with POF may conceive without any specific fertility treatment.

Although remissions can occur, the majority of women with POF have a significantly lower chance of getting pregnant than women without the disease as infertility is characteristic of the disorder. Although there is no fertility treatment that can restore the ovaries normal functioning, women with POF can become pregnant through the use of a donor egg.

Assisted reproduction is the only treatment that improves the chance of pregnancy for an infertile woman. The chance for pregnancy using egg donation in a woman with POF is very high – the underlying cause of the disease has no affect on the very high success rate of this procedure.

The primary indication for egg donation was originally for women with POF, but there are several reasons why a woman might not be able to produce eggs and require egg donation. These are not limited to but include infertility due to poor egg quality or age, premature menopause, severe endometriosis, to avoid passing on genetic disorders, elevated follicle-stimulating hormone, or damaged ovaries due to chemotherapy.

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Pelvic Health After Your Pregnancy

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Posted by Elizabeth Carrollton on August 22, 2012 at 1:08 pm

During and after a pregnancy, certain considerations must be made in order to keep the body healthy and in good shape. Pregnancy and childbirth are difficult on the body, causing stress that can lead to certain conditions such as pelvic organ prolapse. Pelvic organ prolapse occurs when the ligaments and muscles responsible for supporting the pelvic organs become weak. As a result, the pelvic organs can move out of their normal place. This can worsen over a period of time, and some cases of prolapse require surgical intervention.

Many of the surgical procedures that are used to treat this condition include the installation of a medical device known as transvaginal mesh. Unfortunately, transvaginal mesh can cause serious complications, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA notes that there are alternative surgical procedures that do not use transvaginal mesh,

Before surgery is considered, non-surgical options such as Kegel exercises need to be tried. These can strengthen the muscles and ligaments and relieve symptoms.

The best thing that a pregnant woman can do is to take steps to improve pelvic health so that the muscles and ligaments are strong during and after childbirth. It may be possible to prevent prolapse entirely, or to at least control the progression or prolapse.

For example, maintaining a healthy weight can help to prevent prolapse symptoms from becoming worse. Avoiding smoking can also help. Avoiding jumping and heavy lifting can be beneficial as well, especially when prolapse has already occurred but has not progressed to a severe level. Maintaining good pelvic health in many different ways will have a profoundly positive impact on the body’s ability to either prevent pelvic organ prolapse entirely, or to keep it from becoming too serious.

Pregnant women who are worried about pelvic organ prolapse, or who have a family history of prolapse, should speak to their physician early on during the pregnancy to find out what options exist for preventing or warding off prolapse. It is ultimately up to the woman and her physician to determine what steps can be taken to prevent a prolapse from occurring or to prevent the progression of the prolapse.

If prolapse does occur, women and their doctors need to consider the treatment options — which do not need to include transvaginal mesh. This way they can avoid being like the hundreds of women who have already had to file vaginal mesh lawsuits. Women who are worried about pelvic organ prolapse during and after pregnancy should speak to a physician sooner rather than later to discuss risk factors and treatment options.

Elizabeth Carrollton writes about defective medical devices and dangerous drugs for Drugwatch.com.

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Considerable coffee consumption reduces pregnancy success

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Posted by Gabino Blanco on July 30, 2012 at 9:54 am

Consumption of more than five cups of coffee a day considerably reduces the IVF success rate, suggests a recent study performed by the Fertility Clinic of Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark determined that the effects were similar to that of smoking.

The results showed a reduction in the pregnancy rate by 50 percent and the live birth rate by 40 percent.  It is well known that excessive coffee consumption can reduce fertility, with caffeine reported to have the effect of reducing muscle activity in the fallopian tubes following two cups of coffee.  Dr Ulrik Schiøler Kesmodel, the head scientist, confirmed: “Although we were not surprised that coffee consumption appears to affect pregnancy rates in IVF, we were surprised at the magnitude of the effect”.

A common complaint following studies lies in the sample size used to determine the findings, something this study cannot be criticised for as the sample included 3959 women having IVF or ICSI fertility treatment.  Data relating to coffee consumption was gathered along with other important information such as: “age, smoking habits and alcohol consumption, cause of infertility, female body mass index, ovarian stimulation, and number of embryos retrieved.”

Although noting a considerable affect on the system relating to those who drink five or more cups of coffee a day, it was noted that “no effect” was observed when the patients consumed less than five cups of coffee a day.  This is interesting as there clear remains a clear distinction between the consumption of four and five cups per day, while not considering the potency of the coffee in question.

For example, a study performed by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK found that among 20 shops the strength of the coffee varied significantly, with one appearing six times stronger than another, with Starbucks being the weakest.  Therefore, in my opinion it would have been more effective had the study quantified the recommended caffeine in-take rather than the number of cups of coffee.

The study is interesting and serves to help us understand in greater detail the need for regulated consumption of different goods.  The effects of caffeine on fertility is significant as another study suggests that for those who seek pregnancy after tubal ligation both males and females should once again steer clear of caffeine.

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Embryo adoption and donation, what is their status?

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Posted by Gabino Blanco on July 25, 2012 at 7:35 am

As families and parents across the United States continue to fight against the worst economic crisis since the great depression, an estimated 6.5 to 10 million individuals and couples also face another challenge – becoming a parent.  Infertility is common and since the first assisted reproductive technology (ART) birth in 1978 using IVF, various other techniques have been developed.

Embryo adoption, involves the transfer of embryos to a woman’s uterus at the two-eight cell stage, is a method by which infertile couples are able to have children.  While the process hasn’t drawn criticism as such, the use of the word ‘adoption’ has in legal circles.  ‘Adoption’ carries with it certain laws, meaning that the process will be considered like a more conventional adoption case.  With few laws determining embryos some clinics and agencies have been keen to develop their own rules relating to the practice, something that might not in fact consider the welfare of the embryo with which they aspire to have it recognised as a ‘human life’.  The process differs greatly from donation as applicants are prescreened and are required to undertake a number of programs to ensure their suitability for the program, while an important factor is the degree of openness between the recipient and the donor parents post-adoption.

Embryo donation is a process by which couples who have cryogenically preserved embryos relinquish any and all legal rights to those embryos and give them to another couple with no genetic ties to the embryos – 400,000 embryos in storage in the US.  According to the New York Law School Law Review, distinguishing between donation and adoption of embryos can be difficult, while the use of the former term can have a significant impact via family law.

The question remains as to the status of a cryogenically preserved fertilized human embryo:

  1. Embryo as a person
  2. Embryo as a “potential life” deserving special respect and protection
  3. Embryo as property

With each creating complex legal determinations for the rights of the embryo, something I will not go into here, but as it stands embryo adoption and donation are seen as a solution to cases of infertility.  It seems that different States maintain varying laws regarding embryos, as Missouri defines life as “begin[ning] at conception”, are you in agreement?

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Early treatment of PCOS reduces infertility risks

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Posted by Gabino Blanco on July 23, 2012 at 5:24 pm

Understanding the severity of a bodily malfunction such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is challenging as the immediacy with which treatment should begin is not generally appreciated.  The condition is not life threatening, but should it go untreated or unrecognised until an individual is attempting to conceive, the risks of pregnancy loss increase.

The widely held belief was that PCOS previously only affected adult women, however, symptoms such as hirustism and menstrual disturbances are not treated in isolation, as according to a report by Dr Maz Khan “women with PCOS are at greater risk of serious metabolic and cardiovascular consequences later in life”.

Metabolic problems in themselves can reduce fertility and increase potential complications.  While early detection can lead to effective management of the condition, dietary changes can also improve fertility in both men and women by reducing consumption of carbohydrates, fats and alcohol.  It is estimated that for obese women, a 5-10% weight loss restores fertility in 55-100% of patients within six months.

The consequences of a bad diet are considerable, with a direct link to increased infertility, while PCOS can also contribute to weight gain; individuals should proactively investigate any such physical changes and address the problem where possible to ensure the most successful pregnancy.  The report suggests that PCOS is now being found in many younger women, as a result regular visits to a gynaecologist are important in addressing the condition in its early stages.

While Dr Khan recognises the importance of understanding and addressing the problems it is also suggested that individuals should seek infertility treatments following attempts at a more “holistic approach” at the “primary care level”.

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