Renegade Pictures are making a warm, thoughtful film about pregnancyCalling all first time mums-to-be – are you due this summer/autumn?

Renegade Pictures are making a warm, thoughtful film about pregnancy in which our expectant presenter will meet 7 women having a baby at different stages of their lives. Whatever your age we would love to speak to you about your choices, attitudes and the changes pregnancy is bringing to your lifestyle.

We are particularly keen to feature women in their 30’s, 40’s or 50’s who are currently pregnant. We hope this will be a positive opportunity for them to talk about their experiences, choices, and outlooks, and really want to offer them the opportunity to put their opinions across – perhaps challenging stereotypes if they are passionate about that.

Please contact us in complete confidence on: 020 7479 4204 or email: baby@renegadepictures.co.uk


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The program provides refunds of 70 percent to 100 percent of patient fees if the fertility treatments do not result in the family taking home a babyIntegraMed America Inc., the Purchase-based company that runs vein clinics and fertility centers, said that the Cleveland Clinic has begun offering its Attain IVF Program to patients undergoing fertility treatment.

The program provides refunds of 70 percent to 100 percent of patient fees if the fertility treatments do not result in the family taking home a baby. IntegraMed said the program is designed to reduce the financial risk for a patient receiving such treatments. The Cleveland Clinic, one of the largest private medical centers in the world, performed more than 600 fertility treatments during the past year.

Source: http://burbsbiz.lohudblogs.com/2009/07/28/cleveland-clinic-offers-integramed-program-to-fertility-patients/


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The maximum any donor can get in expenses is currently £250The UK's fertility watchdog has called for a fresh debate on reversing the ban on paying egg and sperm donors.

Head of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, Professor Lisa Jardine, says proper payment may persuade more donors to come forward.

More and more British couples are going abroad for infertility treatment since the ban on payments was introduced.

The number of women using donated eggs and sperm fell by 25% and 30% respectively between 2004 and 2006.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8169890.stm


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Phytoestrogen in soy impedes egg, embryo growthWomen who are having difficulty conceiving may want to cut back on their soy consumption after a mouse study reveals that dietary exposure to genistein, a compound found in soy foods, can reduce the odds of a successful pregnancy in multiple ways.

The study examined the impact of genistein exposure on oocytes, or eggs, from adult mice and found it can impair oocyte maturation, reduce their potential to become fertilized and hamper the growth of the newly formed embryo. The results reveal how natural compounds like genistein may have both risks – it can act as an endocrine disurptor to affect female reproduction – and benefits - such as protecting the heart.

Resources
Jefferson, W, R Newbold, E Padilla-Banks and M Pepling. 2006. Neonatal genistein treatment alters ovarian differentiation in the mouse: inhibition of oocyte nest breakdown and increased oocyte survival. Biology of Reproduction 74(1): 161-168.

Jefferson, WN, E Padilla-Banks and RR Newbold. 2005. Adverse effects on female development and reproduction in CD-1 mice following neonatal exposure to the phytoestrogen genistein at environmentally relevant doses. Biology of Reproduction 73(4): 798-806.

Kuhnle, GG, C Dell'Aquila, SM Aspinall, SA Runswick, AA Mulligan and SA Bingham. 2008. Phytoestrogen content of beverages, nuts, seeds, and oils. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 56: 7311-7315.


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Stem cell discovery raises hopes of restoring female fertilityThe theory that women are born with all the eggs they will ever have has been challenged by research that could raise the prospect of restoring female fertility and reversing the menopause.

Scientists in China have discovered that the ovaries of adult and newborn mice seem to contain stem cells that can be grown into eggs that can be fertilised to create healthy offspring.

The findings suggest that it may be possible one day to isolate and culture these stem cells from women’s ovaries, should they also exist in humans. This could provide a source of eggs to extend female fertility, which declines as the ovaries’ supply is depleted with age.


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Where sperm abnormalities cause infertilityWhen testing a couple for infertility, the man’s semen is generally tested first because tests for women are far more complicated, invasive and expensive. Studies show that 40 per cent of infertility is because of a medical problem with the man.

A fresh semen sample is obtained after sexual abstinence for about two to four days. The sample is captured into a clean, wide-mouthed bottle and if the sample spills or leaks out, the test is invalid and needs to be repeated. The semen sample must be kept at room (or body) temperature while it is being delivered directly to the laboratory. A semen analysis to determine fertility should be performed on a minimum of two samples at least seven days apart

Read more: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2009/0721/1224250990636.html


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Mutation causing one type of male infertility foundResearchers have found a genetic mutation that lies behind one type of male infertility and may have been a cause of unsuccessful In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments in some couples.

The mutation lies in one specific protein present in sperm called PLC zeta. Recent research, in which the Oxford team also played a significant role, has shown that sperm transfers PLC zeta to the egg on fertilisation. The protein initiates a process called 'egg activation' which sets off all the biological processes necessary for development of the embryo.


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Increasing female fertilityIf you have been trying to get pregnant but have been unsuccessful, there are a number of things that can be done to increase your chances if conception. While it takes most women an average of 6 months to 1 year to become pregnant, female fertility may be enhanced by simply living a healthier lifestyle.

1. No more caffeine.
2. Stop smoking.
3. Reduce alcohol intake.
4. Take your vitamins. Especially vitamin E.

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/x-12286-Houston-Pregnancy-Examiner~y2009m7d20-Increasing-female-fertility-naturally

California is one of the most supportive states for lesbians and gay men to become parents via surrogacyCalifornia is a fantastic place to experience surrogacy. Women can become a parent by going to a sperm bank and undergoing artificial insemination. Men use a surrogate, either through artificial insemination or through two women, one to donate an egg, and the other to serve as surrogate.

Traditionally, a man would either remain a co-parent with the surrogate, or attempt to terminate the surrogate's maternity through a cumbersome and unpredictable abandonment proceeding. Now when the surrogate does not claim she is the mother, the court will follow the intentions of the parties, by declaring that the man is the sole parent and the surrogate is not the mother.

Prospective fathers have a stronger legal position by using a gestational surrogate. (ie. a surrogate who carries an embryo created from donor egg.) In this scenario, the man would be able to argue that he is the recipient of a donated egg. In absence of an egg donation from a separate woman, if the surrogate changes her mind and claims she is the mother of the child, he would have a harder time arguing that a "tie" exists between anyone.

Similar to the heterosexual married couple, same-sex couples in California will be listed on the original birth certificate of a child born to a surrogate if a judgment is obtained declaring both of them to be the sole parents.


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Lesbian couple win fight for IVF on the NHSA LESBIAN couple have won the right to IVF [in vitro fertilization] on the NHS [National Health Service] after a legal tussle, ahead of laws that will put same-sex patients on an equal footing with heterosexuals.

The couple, who remain anonymous, had to go through a legal fight to push the NHS to fund IVF because, at the moment, individual trusts decide whether they wish to pay for treatment for lesbians.

The couple were initially refused IVF by their primary care trust because they were of the same sex. One of the women had polycystic ovarian syndrome, which disrupts ovulation, and is one of the most common causes of infertility.

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6719152.ece


Human Egg Cells Grow Up in LabFor the first time, scientists have managed to grow mature human eggs from immature cells in the lab, a technique that may eventually help save the fertility of female cancer patients who aren’t eligible for traditional egg harvest.

Researchers from Northwestern University took immature egg cells, encased in a protective sac called a follicle, from 14 women who wanted to preserve their fertility before undergoing chemotherapy. By placing the cells in a unique three-dimensional growing environment for 30 days, the scientists coaxed the cells into becoming what appear to be healthy, functional human eggs.

“It is a major first,” said infertility expert Sherman Silber of St. Luke’s Hospital in St. Louis, who was not involved in the research. “No one has yet tested the eggs by in-vitro fertilization and pregnancy, but they look quite normal and we are all excited about it.”

Read more: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/07/humanegg/


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Fertility clinics in RaleighDuke Fertility Center leads the way in egg freezing, fertility services for cancer survivors, and pre-implantation genetics. Their website includes the cost of each procedure listed, as well as their pregnancy success rates.

UNC Specialty Women's Center at Rex diagnose and manage hormonal disorders, evaluate and treat the causes of recurrent pregnancy loss, the most modern surgical and medical treatments for infertility.

North Carolina Center for Reproductive Medicine has the highest pregnancy success rate in the state. They take a holistic approach to treating infertility. Discounted rates for IVF and tubal reversal surgery available this summer.

Carolina Conceptions provides on-site IVF, egg donation/egg recipiency, husband and donor IUI, and a gestational/surrogacy program. Access to a fertility counselor and a reproductive urologist. They guarantee new infertility consultations within two weeks.


Read more: http://www.examiner.com/x-14154-Raleigh-Infertility--Miscarriage-Examiner~y2009m7d17-Infertility-and-miscarriage-101-Where-can-I-find-fertility-clinics-in-Raleigh


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Quebecs New Fertility Funding A Bonus
In late June, Quebec passed a bill that will see the province pay for up to three cycles of in vitro fertilization, or IVF, treatments for infertile couples.

The government is still working out the details of the new program, but Jean-Marc Lachance, chief financial officer of Opmedic Group Inc. (OMG.T), told Dow Jones that he expects the new program to bring a whole new segment of clients into the company's private fertility clinics.

Opmedic provides fertility and genetic services, sperm banking services, and surgical services at its five private clinics in Quebec.

"One round of fertility treatment with all the associated drugs costs approximately C$10,000, with most women receiving at least two rounds of treatment," Lachance said.

He said the new program should help the company grow by making fertility treatments accessible to families that can't afford the services, even with the existing 50% tax credit Quebec already has in place for some fertility treatments.

Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090717-711156.html


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Its true...it hurts to be infertile. Like any other disease.Dr. Turek offers this advice for men diagnosed with infertility:

1. Take control of the matter – Take the initiative and educate yourself as this helps you get control of the situation and helps with decision-making. Consider going to informational web sites such as ASRM.org and SSMR.org .

2. Make an appointment with a specialist in male infertility – These physicians are usually urologists who are interested in, or specifically trained in, male infertility matters and see infertility frequently and not just rarely. They can streamline care and make it more efficient, and often employ cutting edge treatment techniques unfamiliar to other physicians.

3. Talk openly with your partner regarding your feelings – Have the difficult conversation with your other half. Be upfront when you need a break from the topic. Decide who really needs to know about it and who doesn’t. This can help relieve stress.

4. Find a way to blow off steam – This issue can lead to frustration and self-doubt. Get your blood pumping by working out, playing hoops, or going running. Release the stress with yoga, massage or whatever works for you. Try to save that sex drive from also tanking.

5. Get the support you need – Talk with buddies that you trust. Even consider talking with a therapist or counselor. Ask your doctor about where you can get such help.

“In most cases, male infertility is not the fault of the man. It is a disease that happens like any other,” Dr. Turek said. “A good response to this is to be the best man you can be and take great care of yourself.” Dr. Turek recommends: “Eat well, sleep well and treat your body like a temple.”

About The Turek Clinic
The Turek Clinic is a next-generation men's healthcare medical practice specializing in issues facing reproductive age men, including male infertility, vasectomy, vasectomy reversal, varicocele repair, and other minimally invasive procedures. For more information, visit www.TheTurekClinic.com or Dr. Turek’s blog at http://www.TurekOnMensHealth.com/ .

Source: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090713005329&newsLang=en


Men Diagnosed With Infertility Suffer Intense Negative Sexual, Personal and Social StrainsA new research study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine and led by noted men’s health researcher Dr. Paul Turek has a powerful conclusion: that men diagnosed with infertility suffer intense negative sexual, personal and social strains that might be considered typical for other medical illnesses, including cancer.

Traditionally viewed as a “silent disease” in men, the psychological toll infertility takes on men's health was previously not well known by medical researchers. Researchers at the University of California San Francisco, in collaboration with Dr. Turek, a nationally recognized urologist, male infertility specialist and founder of the renowned Turek Clinic in San Francisco, conducted the study.

“Since male infertility is such a common problem, it is important to understand the real impact it has on male health and relationships,” Dr. Turek said. “This study makes clear, for the first time, that male infertility is a ‘disease’ like any other, silent or not, and can have a serious effect on the overall well-being of the individual, the couple, and the family.”

The study shows that the diagnosis of infertility increases social strain in male partners of infertile couples. Male partners in couples with perceived, isolated male factor infertility have a lower sexual and personal quality of life compared to male partners of couples without perceived male factor infertility.

About one in eight couples – around 7.3 million Americans – has trouble conceiving. Half of those cases have male infertility issues – often easily treatable ones. Male infertility affects 10% to 15% of reproductive aged couples worldwide and is treatable in many cases.

The goal of the research was to measure the personal, social, sexual and marital impact of a diagnosis of male factor infertility among men in couples evaluated for infertility. Among the 357 men studied, no male factor was reported in 47%, isolated male factor was present in 12%, combined male and female factors were present in 16%, and unexplained infertility was present in 25% of couples. The research involved cross-sectional analysis of 357 men in infertile couples from eight academic and community-based fertility clinics. Participants completed validated, written surveys, face-to-face and telephone interviews at study enrollment. More information about the study can be found on The Journal of Sexual Medicine Web site at: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/118495964/home .

Source: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090713005329&newsLang=en


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Avoiding alcohol may improve mens fertilityAccording to the Mayo Clinic, male infertility is a factor in about half the cases of couples who are diagnosed as infertile. Following are five ways men can increase their fertility:

1. Avoid using lubricants which can hinder sperm motility.
2. Give up alcohol and limit caffeine consumption.

Read more: http://www.examiner.com/x-14154-Raleigh-Infertility--Miscarriage-Examiner~y2009m7d13-Five-ways-to-increase-male-fertility



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Teresa Woodruff, chief of fertility preservation at the Feinberg SchoolThe tiny translucent egg nestled in the special laboratory gel was a mere 30 days old, but its four-week birthday caused researchers to quietly celebrate. This was the first time anyone had successfully grown a woman's immature egg cells, contained in a tiny sac called a follicle, to a healthy and nearly mature egg in the laboratory. When an egg is fully mature, it is ready to be fertilized.

The researchers from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have completed the first critical step in the development of a new technique, which, if successful in the next steps, may eventually provide a new fertility option for women whose cancer treatments destroy their ability to reproduce.

The nearly mature follicles grown for 30 days in the laboratory had been plucked from ovarian tissue of cancer patients before they began chemotherapy and radiation treatments that would destroy their fertility. The cancer patients, from Northwestern Memorial Hospital, had agreed to participate in the experimental fertility study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

"By being able to take an immature ovarian follicle and grow it to produce a good quality egg, we're closer to that holy grail, which is to get an egg directly from ovarian tissue that can be fertilized for a cancer patient," said Teresa Woodruff, chief of fertility preservation at the Feinberg School and a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

"This represents the basic science breakthrough necessary to better accomplish our goals of fertility preservation in cancer patients in the future," added Woodruff, who developed the new technique with colleagues.

Woodruff is the senior author of a paper on the findings in the July 14 issue of the journal Human Reproduction.

The next step will be for Northwestern researchers to try to induce the egg's final division, called meiosis, so it sheds half of its DNA in order to be fertilized. The ultimate goal is for scientists to be able to freeze the immature follicles, then thaw and mature them in a culture to the point where they are ready to be fertilized.

"This is a very significant achievement because the early stage of the human ovarian follicle is really hard to grow in vitro. They're very fragile and delicate," said Min Xu, a paper coauthor and research assistant professor at the Feinberg School.

As the immature egg grew inside the follicle, it produced hormones just as it would inside a woman's body.

"That's a good sign that these follicles are healthy. The actual egg also is growing to the same size that we would see in an egg that a woman's body has ovulated," said Susan Barrett, a coauthor and post-doctoral fellow at the Feinberg School.

Women currently have few good options to save their ability to reproduce after cancer treatment. Men are able to freeze their sperm for later use before they begin fertility-destroying cancer therapies. The best option to preserve the fertility of a female cancer patient is to collect her eggs, fertilize them with sperm and freeze the resulting embryos. However, this option is often not a practical choice because it can delay cancer treatment, can't be performed on those who have not reached puberty, and requires fertilization -- a problem for those who do not have a male partner or do not wish to use donor sperm.

Other researchers have experimented with freezing entire ovaries or strips of ovarian tissue and implanting them in a woman's body once she is ready to have children. But for cancer patients, it is possible that cancer cells may be present in the ovarian tissue and result in a new cancer after the tissue is implanted. However, if follicles could be removed from the tissue and grown in the laboratory successfully, as this study suggests, then a new fertility preservation technique might become available for women who could not safely have an ovarian transplant.

The new Northwestern findings build on earlier research by the scientists, who grew mouse follicles in a culture, induced the eggs they contained to mature, fertilized them with mouse sperm and implanted them into female mice to establish pregnancy. The technique produced healthy, fertile generations of mice.

Woodruff, working with Lonnie Shea, professor of chemical and biological engineering at McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, achieved the new advance by suspending the human ovarian follicle in two different kinds of three-dimensional gels. Previous attempts to grow ovarian follicles had been on a flat surface, which the researchers now believe does not replicate conditions inside the body. These earlier attempts failed to develop good quality eggs that were healthy enough for fertilization.

Woodruff said the research also is significant because it is the first time scientists have been able to isolate and study a functioning individual human ovarian follicle.

"Because you don't take an ovary out of young women, we've never before been able to look inside the follicle of the human and ask how does it work, how do hormones change, how does the estrogen change in the follicle?" explained Woodruff, who also is the Thomas J. Watkins Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "We never knew how an individual follicle regulated these hormones. This paper for the first time shows these individual hormones being regulated by one growing follicle."

The discovery, Woodruff said, will enable researchers to understand how nurse cells (granulosa cells), the cells that support and surround the maturing egg, communicate with the egg. "They provide a lot of information that the egg needs to grow and develop properly," Woodruff said. "It's a big priority for us to understand how the nurse cells talk to the egg." The information, she said, will help scientists understand how eggs grow and develop properly.

For additional information on Woodruff's research visit her laboratory web site at http://www.woodrufflab.org.


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10 common fertility mythsOnce a couple makes the life-changing decision to start a family, they can become extremely frustrated if they do not conceive on the first try. There are many legitimate reasons as to why the couple may not be conceiving, but there is also a great deal of misinformation on the subject of fertility.

1. A woman's menstrual cycle is 28 days.

2. A woman can get pregnant on only one day of her cycle.

3. Stress causes infertility.

4. Sperm live for only several hours


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Anybody who has, for whatever reason, dreamed of a world without men in the past probably looked to the cloners to make it happen. Few would have imagined it might one day be possible to create human sperm in a laboratory, but that is now the proud claim of Professor Karim Nayernia of the North East England Stem Cell Institute.

It is a claim that immediately hit controversy. Allan Pacey of the University of Sheffield, a sperm biologist of 20 years standing, declared he was unconvinced. Azim Surani, a professor of physiology and reproduction at Cambridge University, said they were "sperm-like cells" and "a long way from being authentic sperm cells".

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jul/09/sperm-laboratory-men


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Men who eat healthier diets may also have healthier sperm, according to new research from Spain.

Mendiola and his team, who reported the findings in the journal Fertility and Sterility, compared the nutrient content of the diets of 30 men with poor semen quality and 31 men with normal sperm.

The men with poor semen quality had low sperm counts and relatively high percentages of abnormally formed sperm. All of the men provided at least two semen samples.

Read more: http://www.canada.com/Health/Vegetables+boost+fertility/1677133/story.html


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