Fertility News and Research

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Research shows exposure to BPA may play a role in unexplained infertility

As many as 20 percent of infertile couples in the United States have unexplained reasons for their infertility. Now, new research led by Catherine Racowsky, PhD, director of the Assisted Reproductive Technologies Laboratory at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH), shows that exposure to BPA (Bisphenol-A) could be a contributing factor as to why some infertile couples are having difficulty conceiving.

31 Jul 2013

Female cancer patients unhappy with the way doctors discussed about fertility preservation options

Young female cancer patients are unhappy about the way fertility preservation options are discussed with them by doctors before starting cancer treatment, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Sheffield and The Children's Hospital, Sheffield.

23 Jul 2013

Human filariasis research: an interview with Professor Mark Taylor, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Filariasis refers to a group of diseases caused by parasitic worms, which are transmitted by blood feeding insects. Two species infect the lymphatic and blood systems causing lymphatic filariasis, which in some people can lead to gross swelling of the limbs and 'elephantiasis'.

18 Jul 2013

North Dakota judge strikes down state law on nonsurgical abortion drugs

The state judge issues an opinion from an April trial. In the meantime, new abortion and "personhood" proposals in that state rankle some medical professionals.

17 Jul 2013

Childhood cancer survivors can still get pregnant despite increased risk of infertility

Although women who survived childhood cancer face an increased risk of infertility, nearly two-thirds of those who tried unsuccessfully to become pregnant for at least a year eventually conceived, according to clinical researchers at Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center and Brigham and Women's Hospital. This is comparable to the rate of eventual pregnancy among all clinically infertile women.

15 Jul 2013

Children born after mothers hormonal fertility treatment have increased risk of mental disorders

Whether a child is conceived naturally or in a Petri dish in an incubator has no bearing at all on the child's mental health. However, researchers have identified a small but increased risk of developing a mental disorder such as autism, ADHD or behavioural problems in children whose mothers only received medical treatment to stimulate ovulation and egg development before insemination.

11 Jul 2013

Women feel positive about egg freezing

Egg freezing as insurance against age-related infertility is a growing trend in many countries. Women who bank oocytes for use at some time in the future hope to buy a little time in their search for a suitable partner.

10 Jul 2013

Children born after assisted reproduction at no greater risk for cancer, study finds

Children born as a result of assisted reproduction are at no greater risk of cancer than children born spontaneously in the general population, according to results of one of the largest ever cohort studies of ART children.

10 Jul 2013

Rising unemployment rates stop upward trend of fertility in European countries

The largest effect was seen in young adults. Europeans under the age of 25 have especially refrained from having children in the face of rising unemployment rates. The drop of children per woman was strongest for first births. That means, over the last decade young Europeans have particularly postponed family formation.

10 Jul 2013

Study shows female obesity may reduce receptivity of uterus to embryo implantation

An analysis of almost 10,000 first cycles of egg donation treatment at one of Europe's largest IVF centres shows that female obesity reduces the receptivity of the uterus to embryo implantation and thereby compromises reproductive outcome.

10 Jul 2013

Working shift patterns associated with increased risk of subfertility and menstrual disruption

Shift work, which encourages sleep deprivation and patterns of activity outside the circadian rhythm, has been associated with a greater risk of ill health and loss of well-being in some (but not all) studies.(1) However, little is known about the effects of shift work on reproductive health and fertility.

9 Jul 2013

Altruism is important, but financial compensation a convincing reason for egg donation in some countries

Egg donation is now one of the major reasons why couples travel abroad for fertility treatment. Because this growing trend may circumvent regulations at home or raise concerns about financial inducement, it has also become one of the most controversial.

9 Jul 2013

Macrophages play essential role in production of progesterone hormone

New research from the University of Adelaide shows for the first time that immune cells known as macrophages are critical to fertility by creating a healthy hormone environment in the uterus.

9 Jul 2013

New low-cost method of in-vitro fertilization may help infertile couples in developing countries

A new low-cost method of in-vitro fertilization developed at the University of Colorado Boulder that performed successfully in recent human clinical trials in Belgium may help thousands of infertile couples in developing countries.

9 Jul 2013

Adverse fetal growth, exposure to maternal smoking correlated with lower measures of sperm quality

Studies over the past 20 years have suggested (though not unequivocally confirmed) that semen quality is in decline, reflected most evidently in falling sperm counts and reduced sperm motility.

8 Jul 2013

Risk of implantation failure, lower yield of oocytes linked to higher levels of urinary phthalates

Phthalates are among a group of industrial chemicals shown in some studies to have adverse effects on reproductive health and development, particularly in the male. As such, they have been collectively defined as "endocrine disruptors", and proposed as one of several possible environmental exposures responsible for a decline in fertility.

8 Jul 2013

Study on assisted reproduction published in Reproductive BioMedicine Online

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the publication of a recent retrospective study in Reproductive BioMedicine Online to better understand treatment considerations and outcomes for same-sex male couples and single men when using assisted reproduction treatment.

4 Jul 2013

Medical ethicists find no justification to support UK's legal ban on sex selection

As Europe's leading fertility specialists gather at a conference in London this weekend, a major new publication from leading medical ethicists finds no justification to support the UK's legal ban on sex selection before pregnancy for 'social' reasons.

3 Jul 2013

Mixed results for acupuncture in improving IVF rates

Acupuncture, when used as a complementary or adjuvant therapy for in vitro fertilization (IVF), may be beneficial depending on the baseline pregnancy rates of a fertility clinic, according to research from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The analysis from the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine is published in the June 27 online edition of the journal Human Reproduction Update.

2 Jul 2013

Fetal exposure to BPA lowers testicular hormone in newborn boys

A new study links fetal exposure to a common chemical pollutant, bisphenol A (BPA), to defects of a testicular hormone in newborn boys with undescended testicles. The results, which were presented Monday at The Endocrine Society's 95th Annual Meeting in San Francisco, suggest yet another potential harmful effect of BPA, which is widely used in many plastics, liners of food cans and dental sealants.

18 Jun 2013

Fertility News and Research

Research shows exposure to BPA may play a role in unexplained infertility

Female cancer patients unhappy with the way doctors discussed about fertility preservation options

Human filariasis research: an interview with Professor Mark Taylor, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

North Dakota judge strikes down state law on nonsurgical abortion drugs

Childhood cancer survivors can still get pregnant despite increased risk of infertility

Children born after mothers hormonal fertility treatment have increased risk of mental disorders

Women feel positive about egg freezing

Children born after assisted reproduction at no greater risk for cancer, study finds

Rising unemployment rates stop upward trend of fertility in European countries

Study shows female obesity may reduce receptivity of uterus to embryo implantation

Working shift patterns associated with increased risk of subfertility and menstrual disruption

Altruism is important, but financial compensation a convincing reason for egg donation in some countries

Macrophages play essential role in production of progesterone hormone

New low-cost method of in-vitro fertilization may help infertile couples in developing countries

Adverse fetal growth, exposure to maternal smoking correlated with lower measures of sperm quality

Risk of implantation failure, lower yield of oocytes linked to higher levels of urinary phthalates

Study on assisted reproduction published in Reproductive BioMedicine Online

Medical ethicists find no justification to support UK's legal ban on sex selection

Mixed results for acupuncture in improving IVF rates

Fetal exposure to BPA lowers testicular hormone in newborn boys

The Critical Role of Sample Storage in Drug Discovery and Development

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

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