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Study finds higher risk of infertility in women under 35 with endometriosis

About 5 to 10 percent of the general female population is affected with endometriosis, and a higher prevalence is found among women with infertility. Although endometriosis is commonly observed in women who are infertile, it is unknown when endometriosis is the cause of infertility or an incidental discovery during the infertility examination.

18 May 2016

Birmingham Women's Hospital leads the way in genomic diagnosis

Birmingham Women's Hospital (BWH) has adopted a radical new technology to make it easier to identify rare diseases by their genetic causes, leading to a faster and more accurate diagnosis for the patient. The technology being used to do this is called Sapientia™ and it is facilitating the reclassification of disease.

16 May 2016

New study analyzes financial savings and costs of medical complications associated with IVF

Heralded a miracle by many infertile couples, in vitro fertilization (IVF) can pack a painful financial punch for those without insurance coverage for the treatment. This prohibitive cost leads many would-be parents who pursue in vitro fertilization to transfer multiple embryos at once to increase their chances of getting a baby - and reduce the need to pay for subsequent attempts.

8 May 2016

Women often excluded from type 2 diabetes drug trials

While women who are pregnant, or breastfeeding or who may become pregnant are often excluded from clinical trials for type 2 diabetes drugs, the exclusion is frequently not based on the risk of fetal harm, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers and may be contributing to the underrepresentation of women in clinical trials and an incomplete understanding of the effects of drugs on women who become pregnant unexpectedly.

6 May 2016

Total cessation of GnRH production by hypothalamic neurons can lead to infertility

Individual small RNAs are responsible for controlling the expression of gonadoliberin or GnRH (Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone), a neurohormone that controls sexual maturation, the appearance of puberty, and fertility in adults.

3 May 2016

UW-Madison researchers develop quick, saliva-based test for measuring fertility hormone levels

Doubts about their ability to become pregnant affect as many as 25 percent of American women, and solving that problem is the basic business plan for BluDiagnostics. Although the startup company was born in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Biochemistry Department, co-founder Katie Brenner says the idea came directly from her own difficulty with conception.

29 Apr 2016

Zinc sparks help doctors choose best eggs to transfer during IVF

A stunning explosion of zinc fireworks occurs when a human egg is activated by a sperm enzyme, and the size of these "sparks" is a direct measure of the quality of the egg and its ability to develop into an embryo, according to new research from Northwestern Medicine.

26 Apr 2016

Researchers gain new insights into female pelvis development

Women have wider hips than men because their pelves must allow for the birth of large-brained babies. Nevertheless, many female pelves are still not wide enough, which can result in difficult births. Traditionally, the human pelvis has been considered an evolutionary compromise between birthing and walking upright; a wider pelvis would compromise efficient bipedal locomotion. But this hypothesis has now been called into question: According to new studies, wide hips do not reduce locomotor efficiency.

26 Apr 2016

Radiotherapy needs likely to increase in all European countries by 2025

The demand for radiotherapy across all European countries will increase by an average of 16% between 2012 and 2025, with the highest expected increase being for prostate cancer cases (24%), according to a new study published in Radiotherapy and Oncology.

19 Apr 2016

Women with epilepsy have likelihood of achieving successful pregnancy just as healthy peers

Women with epilepsy are just as likely to achieve a successful pregnancy as women without the neurological disorder, according to a new study led by research teams at multiple centers, including NYU Langone Medical Center.

18 Apr 2016

New research suggests women need to wait until 30 to minimize career income losses

Working women who want to minimize career income losses related to motherhood should wait until they are about 30 years old to have their first children, suggests new research from Washington University in St. Louis.

15 Apr 2016

Expanding insurance coverage for elective single-embryo transfer could result in ideal pregnancy outcomes

Expanding insurance coverage for a type of in vitro fertilization known as elective single-embryo transfer could lead to improved health outcomes and lower health care costs, according to a newly published study that included researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

15 Apr 2016

Spread of STIs, peer pressure may have transformed prehistoric humans to monogamists

Prehistoric humans may have developed social norms that favour monogamy and punish polygamy thanks to the presence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and peer pressure, according to new research from the University of Waterloo in Canada.

13 Apr 2016

Researchers reach milestone in developing non-hormonal approach to male contraception

Researchers studying strategies to develop a non-hormonal approach to male contraception have reached an important milestone in their work, discovering a way to produce a key enzyme found only in sperm in sufficient quantities that they can begin designing drugs to stop the sperm from swimming to the egg.

13 Apr 2016

Study finds no difference in outcomes for children raised by same-sex parents

Children raised by same-sex female parents with a stable family life show no difference in general health, emotional difficulties, coping and learning behavior, compared to children of different-sex parents in similarly stable relationships, concludes a study in the April Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer.

13 Apr 2016

Research looks at effects of traumatic childbirth on midwives and obstetricians

When complications arise in the delivery room that lead to traumatic childbirth, clinicians providing care may feel upset and experience secondary traumatic stress.

12 Apr 2016

Maternal obesity, poor nutrition during pregnancy affect egg reserves of female child

New research involving mice, published in the April 2016 issue of The FASEB Journal, suggests that maternal obesity and poor nutrition during pregnancy affects the egg reserves of female offspring. This discovery improves scientific understanding of the long-term, generational, effects of obesity and poor nutrition. This understanding is the first step toward devising interventions to protect the fertility of females who experienced very difficult womb environments.

11 Apr 2016

Traumatic childbirth may impact healthcare professionals' mental health

When complications arise in the delivery room that lead to traumatic childbirth, clinicians providing care may feel upset and experience secondary traumatic stress. A new study published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, a journal of the Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology, found that feelings of blame and guilt dominate when midwives and obstetricians struggle to cope with the aftermath of a traumatic childbirth, but such events also made them think more about the meaning of life and helped them become better midwives and doctors.

11 Apr 2016

Infant daughters may show early signs of PCOS from mothers

The infant daughters of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) show a higher level of an enzyme that activates testosterone and may be an early sign of developing the complex genetic disease, according to a new Northwestern Medicine study.

7 Apr 2016

Breast cancer medication letrozole could increase ovulation in women with PCOS

A medicine used in breast cancer treatment is now considered the best option for treating the most common cause of infertility.

6 Apr 2016

Fertility News and Research

Study finds higher risk of infertility in women under 35 with endometriosis

Birmingham Women's Hospital leads the way in genomic diagnosis

New study analyzes financial savings and costs of medical complications associated with IVF

Women often excluded from type 2 diabetes drug trials

Total cessation of GnRH production by hypothalamic neurons can lead to infertility

UW-Madison researchers develop quick, saliva-based test for measuring fertility hormone levels

Zinc sparks help doctors choose best eggs to transfer during IVF

Researchers gain new insights into female pelvis development

Radiotherapy needs likely to increase in all European countries by 2025

Women with epilepsy have likelihood of achieving successful pregnancy just as healthy peers

New research suggests women need to wait until 30 to minimize career income losses

Expanding insurance coverage for elective single-embryo transfer could result in ideal pregnancy outcomes

Spread of STIs, peer pressure may have transformed prehistoric humans to monogamists

Researchers reach milestone in developing non-hormonal approach to male contraception

Study finds no difference in outcomes for children raised by same-sex parents

Research looks at effects of traumatic childbirth on midwives and obstetricians

Maternal obesity, poor nutrition during pregnancy affect egg reserves of female child

Traumatic childbirth may impact healthcare professionals' mental health

Infant daughters may show early signs of PCOS from mothers

Breast cancer medication letrozole could increase ovulation in women with PCOS

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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