Infertility

By Samuel S. Thatcher, M.D.

A Fact Sheet From The Center For Applied Reproductive Science

The polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition in which the ovaries accumulate tiny "cysts" (actually little follicles, two to five millimeters in diameter, each of which contains an egg)

Many women present with significant ovulation problems that may indicate an underlying issue with their metabolism and nutrition.

What exactly is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome? Physicians are taught that the syndrome is best described as "hyperandrogenic anovulation."

Benjamin Franklin's words "God helps those who help themselves" were echoed as a motivational battle cry by Medical Chair Dr. Ron Feinberg in a June 8 keynote address to an audience of 250 at the international conference of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) Association.

To the doctors, it seemed more than coincidental that these women manifested absent menstrual periods, hirsutism (excess hair growth on the face, chest, abdomen, and thighs), and enlarged ovaries.

U.S. Surgeon General Michaela Smith announced today that a major health and reproductive problem afflicting millions of women for over a century has effectively been eradicated.

The Role of Practical Lifestyle Changes

Women with Chronic Inflammatory Disease are at a Higher Risk for Premature Ovarian Failure and Early Menopause.

Remember that PCOS cannot be diagnosed by symptoms alone. PCOS is a very complicated endocrine disorder.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common hormonal diseases affecting reproductive-aged women. In actuality, PCOS includes a spectrum of disorders rather than a single, discrete disease.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) (also correctly called Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) is a complex, broad-spectrum hormonal disturbance affecting the entire body with numerous implications for a woman's long-term health and quality of life.

As the use of assisted reproductive technologies has increased, so, too, has the concern over its effects on the female reproductive system. Specifically, the increased gonadotrophin levels in ovarian cancer pathogenesis coupled with the multiple ovarian punctures and repeated ovarian stimulation associated with in vitro fertilization have raised concerns that IVF may increase the risk of ovarian malignancies.

PCOS is a metabolic disorder that affects 5 – 7.5% of all women. It is the number one cause of infertility and if left untreated, can increase risk of endometrial cancer. In addition, women with PCOS are at a greater risk for heart disease and diabetes.

by Toni Weschler

By John C. Jarrett, M.D. and Deidra T. Rausch, Ph.D.

by Judith Steinberg Turiel

by Joan Marie Butler, RNC,

Clomiphene Citrate, or "Clomid" is often referred to as the "fertility pill". It is used to treat infertile women who have an ovulation problem. It works by helping the pituitary gland (located at the base of the brain) improve the stimulation of developing follicles (eggs) in the ovaries.

Cassy’s birth story is not only a success, but a miracle. We were married August 25, in 1990 and wanted to start a family right away. I was having some problems with my periods and after 5 years of suffering, I was finally diagnosed with moderate Endometriosis.

My husband Bryan and I have been married 10 years. We tried for the first 3 years of our marriage to get pregnant to no avail. Three months after we were married we found out that I had pre-cervical cancer and had laser surgery to get rid of the bad cells.

I write this with my daughter, Hunter, sleeping peacefully on my lap. As I look down on her, I am filled with a sense of awe, and of gratitude, for her journey to us was long. Here is her story......

From the time I was 14, I had horrible cramping with my periods. I would get sick each month and end up spending a week out of every month in bed. This just became "routine" for me and continued on throughout my teen years.

I'm pregnant. Big deal? It is for me. I've had one live birth and four losses. We've also done the full arsenal of infertility treatments. This is pregnancy number six and "she" is the result of IVF/ICSI. As happy as we are, all good news is received cautiously.

According to B. Russell’s “bad luck” mathematical paradox, a decision is bound to be false if based on the probability of success of another decision. Thus, a decision to perform a cesarean section (CS) based on the probability of a successful vaginal delivery (VD) is likely to be wrong.

European principles of giving birth were first introduced into the Pacific by missionaries in the early nineteenth century as part of their belief in civilising the local population. Formal medical practices were not introduced until some forty years later; then they were based only in the urban centres, almost unreachable for many Fijian women from their villages.

Whereas the surgical approach has long been the standard of care for ectopic pregnancy, a wider range of treatment options is now available--leading to a number of questions for the OB/GYN. Our expert panelists debate the relative merits and drawbacks of methotrexate and various invasive procedures, and also discuss their preferred diagnostic approaches, in managing the patient who presents with signs and symptoms of ectopic pregnancy.

Multiple gestation is the medical term that refers to a woman who is pregnant with twins, triplets, or other higher-order multiple pregnancies. This will occur in slightly less than 2% of all pregnancies. Within the category of multiple gestation, twin births are by far the most common, accounting for 95% of all multiple pregnancies.

In contrast to the pattern seen with singleton births, twins born to older mothers do not appear to have a greater risk of birth complications than do twins born to younger mothers, according to a recent study by researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and the University of Kansas.