Micronized Progesterone May Be as Effective as Intramuscular Progesterone for IVF Patients

 
By Arushi Sinha
docguide.com

SAN FRANCISCO — November 13, 2008 — Luteal support with a vaginal progesterone formulation has comparable clinical outcomes to an intramuscular (IM) delivery method, researchers reported here at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) 64th Annual Meeting.

Currently, patients undergoing fertility therapy have many formulation options for their medications. Research presented here examined the effectiveness of a vaginal formulation of progesterone when compared with the more traditional IM dosing.

Mohamed Mitwally, MD, Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado, presented the study findings on November 11 on behalf of the research team.

Dr. Mitwally and colleagues enrolled 544 women who were undergoing treatment for in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Study participants were divided into 2 groups: 145 women received vaginal micronised progesterone and 399 women received standard IM progesterone. They received a gonadotropin-releasing hormone for pituitary down-regulation as part of what is known as the long protocol for IVF-ET.

Embryo transfers were performed during either the cleavage or the blastocyst developmental stages.

Women in the study were aged 33 years on average in the treatment cohort and 34 years in the control cohort.

Results demonstrated that pregnancy outcomes were similar for the 2 groups, with clinical pregnancies in 49% [...] Continue Reading…

November 27th, 2008 | 1 Comment »

Secondary Infertility Myths

 
 
Debunking the Myths, Misconceptions, and Misinformation About Secondary Infertility:

   1. If you’ve been pregnant before, you’ll be able to get pregnant again- don’t worry! Past performance is not a guarantee of future performance. At least one factor has definitely changed since your last pregnancy- your age! Other factors may have changed as well- in you, your partner, or both of you. Some factors you may be aware of, others that you may not.

   2. If you haven’t gotten pregnant in a year of "trying" and you’ve already had a child, you have secondary infertility. Yes and no. You may have secondary infertility if this is the case, but you also may have had bad timing. Discuss this situation with your physician and try one of the techniques to identify your most fertile days.

   3. If you are over 35, you automatically need an infertility work-up right away. Fertility does decrease over time, but if you and your partner are healthy, don’t have any of the risks, and if you are still having regular periods, you don’t need an infertility evaluation just because you are 35. Discuss any concerns you have with your gynecologist at a preconception visit.

   4. Everyone [...] Continue Reading…

November 18th, 2008 | No Comments »

Chemical in Plastics May Cause Fertility Problems

 
Exposure to BPA might lessen chances of successful pregnancy, research suggests
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Nov. 13 (HealthDay News) — Bisphenol A, a controversial chemical used to harden plastic packaging for many foods and beverages, may affect human reproduction, researchers report.

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Bisphenol A (BPA) could hurt the chances of successful in vitro fertilization, or the ability of embryos to attach to the uterus, according to presentations at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s annual meeting, which concluded Wednesday in San Francisco.
"The issue of environmental toxicants upon human reproduction is very important," said Dr. Richard J. Paulson, chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, who was not involved in the studies.
Last month, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel said the agency had erred when it said that BPA, which is widely used in baby bottles and other plastic packaging for foods and beverages, posed no health risks. The agency said it would probably start research early in 2009 to determine [...] Continue Reading…

November 16th, 2008 | No Comments »

Mother Nature Vs. Infertility Treatment

 
WebMD) The good, if not great, news is that the latest advances in infertility treatment have made it possible for more people than ever before to become parents. The bad news is that growing numbers of couples may be jumping the gun and seeking infertility treatments without giving Mother Nature a chance. Infertility treatments, such as drugs that stimulate ovulation, are not without their risks — namely a risk of multiple pregnancies, which can be dangerous for moms and babies.

"The classic definition of infertility is the failure to cause a pregnancy within one year," says Edmund Sabanegh Jr., MD, director of the Center for Male Fertility at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. This is age-dependent, however. Six months of trying is the cutoff for prospective parents aged 35 or older.

That said, "there is certainly so much anxiety and stress [about having children] that we routinely have couples coming in after only a few months of trying," he tells WebMD. "If we move right to testing and treatment, we do a disservice because a lot of them would do just fine if we left them alone."

Still Not Pregnant? Take a Deep Breath

"The first thing we do is [...] Continue Reading…

November 16th, 2008 | No Comments »