Fertility News and Research

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Longer looks: Controversial raffle for IVF treatment; New role for community health workers; Romney, health care and the free market

"That's right, one lucky woman will win the ultimate chance at starting or building her family," said a contest announcement issued in April by Long Island I.V.F., a clinic in Melville that offers in vitro fertilization to women who are having difficulty conceiving. Contestants were asked to submit "the most emotional or entertaining essays and homemade amateur videos" explaining why they wanted a free round of I.V.F.

26 Oct 2012

India's maternal health care benefit excludes many women because of parity requirement, Women's eNews reports

Women's eNews examines India's Indira Gandhi Maternity Support Scheme, a health care benefit offering $80 cash assistance to pregnant women older than 18 years and who do not have more than two living children.

24 Oct 2012

Viewpoints: Health law does not 'guarantee' better health; Electronic health records sound good--until you try to use them

As evidence of a need for universal health care, [New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof] cites his own friend - Scott Androes who died this month of prostate cancer after he put off seeking medical attention in part due to lack of health insurance. ... Kristof argues that President Obama's health care reform will keep others like Scott from befalling the same fate.

24 Oct 2012

In vitro fertilization may significantly increase risk of birth defects

In vitro fertilization may significantly increase the risk of birth defects, particularly those of the eyes, heart, reproductive organs and urinary system, according to a new UCLA study.

23 Oct 2012

IVF may significantly increase risk of birth defects, new research says

In vitro fertilization may significantly increase the risk of birth defects, particularly those of the eye, heart, reproductive organs and urinary systems, according to new research presented Saturday, Oct. 20, at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans.

20 Oct 2012

Common misconceptions about breast cancer risks

From the food we eat to the products we use, there are a lot of misconceptions about what may increase the risk of developing breast cancer. There are known factors, like genetics, that are well documented. But what about lifestyle issues like having a nightly cocktail or using deodorant? So, what is fact and what is fiction? Wendy Chen, MD, MPH, a breast cancer expert at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston says an overabundance of information can be confusing, and it often is incorrect to some degree.

20 Oct 2012

Ectopic pregnancy may limit number of subsequent pregnancies

Women whose first pregnancy is ectopic have fewer children in the 20–30 years afterward than those whose first pregnancy ends in a birth, miscarriage, or abortion, show study findings.

19 Oct 2012

Simple strategies can make big difference in maternal mortality

Aissata Sall Yade, a communications assistant for the Senegal Urban Reproductive Health Initiative, part of IntraHealth International, writes in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog about Aissatou Dia Fall, a head midwife at Senegal's Gallo Dia Health Center in Yeumbeul, and her efforts to improve access to health care for women in the community.

19 Oct 2012

Losing weight does not lead to improved fertility in women

Losing weight does not lead to improved fertility in women, but does improve sexual function, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.

19 Oct 2012

Study explains link between infertility and hyperprolactinaemia

One of the most frequent is the existence of tumours that induce an over-secretion of this hormone. These women present with chronic infertility due to anovulation. Thanks to the work of the Inserm researchers from unit 693 "Steroid receptors: endocrinian and metabolic physiopathology", the intimate mechanism of the hyperprolactinaemia alterations affecting reproduction in mice has been discovered.

19 Oct 2012

Northwestern scientists to request EPA to update guidelines for reproductive health research

A team of Northwestern University scientists will meet with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrators in Washington D.C. Oct. 18 to advocate for important changes in the agency's guidelines for reproductive health research.

17 Oct 2012

Blog examines contraceptive coverage in sub-Saharan Africa

"Between 1970 and 2010, most emerging countries achieved impressive gains in contraceptive coverage," but, "[b]y contrast, many sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries ... have started their contraceptive revolution very late and progress to date has been minimal," John May, a visiting fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD), and Jean-Pierre Guengant, researcher emeritus at the Research Institute for Development (IRD) in Marseille, France, write in CGD's "Global Health Policy" blog.

15 Oct 2012

Johns Hopkins, Iverson enter licensing agreement for molecular diagnostics

Iverson Genetic Diagnostics, Inc. announced today an exclusive licensing agreement with Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine under which Iverson receives global exclusive commercialization rights for molecular diagnostics that are designed to help physicians to assess cardiovascular risk in men and women and infertility risk in women.

12 Oct 2012

Recombinant protein may treat male factor fertility

Male factor infertility resulting in failed oocyte activation from dysfunctional sperm phospholipase C-zeta may be remedied through the use of a recombinant form of the protein, leading to efficient blastocyst formation, say scientists.

8 Oct 2012

Fertility treatment may increase MS disease activity

Findings published in Annals of Neurology suggest that assisted reproduction technology treatment increases multiple sclerosis disease activity.

8 Oct 2012

Assisted reproduction technology may increase risk of MS activity among women

Researchers in Argentina report that women with multiple sclerosis (MS) who undergo assisted reproduction technology (ART) infertility treatment are at risk for increased disease activity.

4 Oct 2012

Preterm births fell for the fifth straight year in 2011

Preterm births fell for the fifth straight year in 2011, and the improvement was across the board -- every racial and ethnic group benefited, and there were fewer preterm babies born at all stages of pregnancy, according to preliminary birth data released today by the National Center for Health Statistics.

4 Oct 2012