DHEA is a natural steroid hormone produced from cholesterol by the adrenal glands, and in the body it is converted into testosterone and estrogen. The most abundant of all steroid hormones in humans, DHEA declines as we age. The concept in regards to fertility is that androgens may augment FSH-receptor expression and stimulate granulosa cell proliferation. This could potentially increase oocyte yield, by increasing the number of follicles responding to exogenous FSH administration and by improving the quality and pregnancy potential of the retrieved oocytes.
“Apparently the maximum effect of DHEA kicks in only after about four months,” says leading fertility researcher Dr Norman Gleicher. It’s also important to note that Gleicher thinks that DHEA can only boost egg production when used in combination with prescribed fertility drugs. “In a natural cycle, it doesn’t matter how many eggs a woman produces. In the end her body will release usually only one,” he explains. “When you are on fertility drugs we make the body release more eggs. And so in order to get the full benefit of DHEA, it is very likely that it will have to be taken in combination with fertility drugs so that the woman does release more than just one egg.”
Dr Gleicher has begun to conduct a larger controlled, double-blind study that might offer more concrete proof that DHEA can increase egg yield in older women. The results are due out in March 2010 but in the meantime, read below for his initial research literature results.
For optimal fertility health, it is vital to look at the health of your adrenal glands and support them using natural therapies. Stress has a huge impact on our adrenal glands, as they are activated […]
DHEA May Optimise Fertility in Combination with IVF
A Possible Hidden Reason of Miscarriage for Women with PCOS
You’re probably aware that women who have polycystic ovarian syndrome have difficulty ovulating and becoming pregnant. It’s also well known that they have a much higher rate of miscarriage than other women.There are various ideas as to the cause of the miscarriages. Researchers at the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona in Spain have discovered evidence that your immune system may be involved in reducing the quality of your endometrium. The endometrium is the blood-rich mucus membrane lining the uterus (which is usually shed as your period). The embryo implants into this lining and takes early nourishment from it.They discovered that infertile PCOS women had increased levels of “anti-endometrial antibodies” or AEA. AEA is a protein that signals your immune system to attack endometrial tissue, thus compromising your ability to have a successful pregnancy.The elevated AEA appears to be caused in part by “oxidant stress”, also known as “free radicals”. Oxidant stress is a biochemical process that has gone haywire and creates enormous damage in your body. Two prime causes of oxidant stress are eating a poor diet and exposure to chemicals and pollution. The best way to reduce oxidant stress is to consume a diet that is high in antioxidants and to avoid pollution. You can also find antioxidants in a high quality multi-vitamin/mineral formula or antioxidant formula.Bottom Line: A healthy diet, high in antioxidants, plays a vital role in any successful pregnancy — and should be started BEFORE you try to conceive. Many naturopathic treatments are available to support your immune system and reduce the risk of miscarriage.ReferencePalacio JR, et al, The presence of antibodies to oxidative modified proteins in serum from polycystic ovary syndrome patients, Clin Exp Immunol. 2006 May;144(2):217-22
Relaxation Can Enhance Your Baby’s Development
Research shows that relaxation during pregnancy makes a significant and positive difference in preterm labour outcomes. The benefits of HypnoBirthing are incredible and facilitate deep relaxation. The study below demonstrates that progressive relaxation (where you tense a muscle and then relax it, moving through the whole body from top to toe) results in a longer gestation and larger newborns. In the last month of pregnancy, the baby undergoes a rapid increase in neuronal growth which is incredibly important to his/her future development. If you are suffering anxiety or are unsure about how you can adapt relaxation techniques to suit you then read more about HypnoBirthing and give Emma a call. The effect of relaxation therapy on preterm labour outcomes.Janke J.University of Alaska Anchorage, 99508, USA.OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of relaxation on preterm labour outcome. DESIGN: Quasi-experimental, with women who experienced preterm labour randomly assigned to a control or experimental group. The experimental group was to do a daily relaxation exercise. A third group was added to the study: women who were originally assigned to the relaxation group but were unable to adhere to the daily practice. Final data were analysed for three groups: control (n = 40), experimental (n = 44), and nonadherent (n = 23) participants. SETTING: Women were referred to the study from physician offices and a hospital-based obstetric triage clinic in the Northwest. PARTICIPANTS: Total sample was comprised of 107 women with singleton gestations, documented contractions with cervical change, and intact membranes. INTERVENTIONS: The experimental group was instructed in a progressive relaxation exercise. The participants were given tapes of the exercise and instructed to do it daily. OUTCOME MEASURES: Study outcomes included gestational age at birth, rate of pregnancy prolongation, […]
An Autumn Birth for a Long Life!
The season into which a baby is born may influence the development of later disease and ultimately lifespan. A recent New Zealand study has attempted to explain this phenomenon with an investigation into the influence of the seasons on nutrient intake in pregnancy. A group of 214 women were followed throughout pregnancy and their diet weighed and recorded at four and seven month’s gestation. Nutrient intake was calculated and analysed according to the season. The data was discussed with relevance to the previously reported associations between the season of birth and risk of specific disease. Babies delivered in winter were born when maternal folate and calcium levels were low. Winter babies have been shown to have an increased risk of developing schizophrenia. The authors postulate that low folate in the critical last month of brain development may account for this association. The reported increased risk of multiple sclerosis in children born in spring may be associated with the low summer intake of vitamin C, selenium and zinc correlating with early development of the infant’s nervous system. Interestingly, autumn births have been associated with longevity in a number of studies. In this study, autumn born babies were exposed to a rich intake of antioxidants throughout the crucial embryonic and early fetal period. It has been proposed that this is a critical period for free radical insults which may affect lifespan potential. Overall, it was found that intakes of many nutrients are highest in spring and lowest in summer. This insightful study brings the role of diet in pregnancy into a new light. Variations in nutrient supply during critical periods of development may have a substantial impact on the child’s later life. The role of folate […]
Predictors of Ovarian Function
We have been utilising a test for anti-Mullerian hormone clinically for a while now to help assess ovarian reserve – it is a marker of egg quantity, not quality! Assessment of ovarian reserve may provide insight into the remaining number of fertile years a woman has or may predict ovarian reserve prior to IVF treatment.Ovarian reserve, constituted by the size of the ovarian follicle pool and the quality of the oocytes therein, declines with increasing age, resulting in the decrease of a woman’s reproductive function. AMH is a hormone marker for quantitative prediction of ovarian reserve, ovarian aging, ovarian dysfunction and ovarian responsiveness.AMH levels correlate with the number of antral follicles. It has been documented that women with lower AMH and antral follicular counts produce a significantly lower number of oocytes compared with women with higher levels. Women with low AMH levels have fewer oocytes, have lower fertilisation rates, generate fewer embryos, and have a higher incidence of miscarriage during fresh transfers, ultimately culminating in a halving of the pregnancy rate per IVF cycle compared with women with high AMH levels. When compared to using FSH and age, AMH acts as a superior predictor of live birth and anticipated oocyte yield.I find this easy test extremely useful in clinic as it helps women to make informed decisions regarding their fertility – whether that is to bring their pregnancy plans forward or pursue IVF sooner rather than later.Comparing anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) as predictors of ovarian function.Barad DH, Weghofer A, Gleicher N.Center for Human Reproduction, New York, New York 10021, USA. dbarad@thechr.comWe compared predictive values of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and baseline FSH with respect to IVF cycle outcomes based on oocyte numbers […]
Nutritional Supplement and Miscarriage
If you need some hard evidence that the various tablets that you are taking every morning are beneficial to you and your baby then read on. There are more and more studies being published that conclude prenatal and pregnancy nutrient status has a significant effect on pregnancy outcome.Miscarriage is a common and poorly understood adverse pregnancy outcome. It is especially problematic for women with PCOS, endometriosis and autoimmune conditions, who have significantly higher rates of miscarriage compared to other women. The University of North Carolina recently released a study of 4,752 pregnant women. Results indicate that vitamin supplementation during early pregnancy was associated with a reduced risk of miscarriage. After analysing the data, the researchers concluded that any use of vitamins during early pregnancy was associated with a 57% reduced risk of miscarriage, compared with no use of vitamins. Thus, the results of this study suggest that use of vitamins during early pregnancy may reduce the risk of miscarriage. Hasan R et al, Self-reported Vitamin Supplementation in Early Pregnancy and Risk of Miscarriage, Am J Epidemiol. 2009 Apr 16.
Infertility and IVF
A bacteria present in the fluid near the ovaries may reduce a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant via in vitro fertilisation (IVF), according to an Aussie researcher. Dr. Christine Knox, a microbiologist at Queensland University of Technology, says that this finding contrasts the traditional view that fluid surrounding the ovum, known as follicular fluid, is sterile.In her opinion, the study can help increase the success rates of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). She also believes that the bacteria could be responsible for infertility cases that have no apparent cause. For the study, Knox, along with researchers at the Wesley Monash IVF clinic, tested the fluid surrounding individual eggs taken from the ovaries of 31 women undergoing ART. The researchers found that 21 of the samples had bacteria in the follicular fluid.Knox said that the findings were startling because “traditionally it was assumed the fluid surrounding the ovum was sterile.” The researchers even revealed that the finding was later replicated in a larger study, wherein they analysed the follicular fluid of 148 women and found bacteria in the fluid of all but one woman.Further tests showed that, in some cases, the bacteria had been transferred from the lower genital tract to the follicular fluid during the medical procedure used to collect eggs known as transvaginal oocyte retrieval (TVOR). But in 52 of the women, the follicular fluid contained bacteria that were not found in the lower tract.According to Knox, the unique, colonising bacteria appear to play a role in reducing pregnancy outcomes. She said that only 25 percent of women with follicular fluid colonised by this bacteria, had achieved a successful pregnancy.”We also found that eggs from women with colonised follicular fluid had a lower rate […]
Advice for Pregnant Women for Fish Intake
Eating more fish during pregnancy can improve brain function of children according to a new study. Women who ate more than two servings of fatty fish per week had children who, at age three, performed better on cognitive and motor skills test. However, women who had higher mercury levels in pregnancy had children with lower test scores. The problem is that women who had high mercury levels also consumed more fish. This conundrum is what prevents many women from getting enough omega 3 fatty acids in their diet while pregnant. In fact, the US FDA recommends pregnant women not eat any shark, king mackarel or swordfish because of increased levels of mercury in these fish. It may be more feasible that women take a pure fish oil supplements in pregnancy rather than eat potentially contaminated fish. The website of the Australian Marine Conservation Society has a fantastic resource to help you determine which fish you should be eating. It is called the Sustainable Seafood Guide and you can order a copy from their website – http://www.amcs.org.au/ . Oken E et al. Maternal Fish Intake during Pregnancy, Blood Mercury Levels, and Child Cognition at Age 3 Years in a US Cohort. Am J Epidemiol. 2008 Mar 28
The Concept of IntraUterine Pollution
Three years ago Dr. Michael Odent, a world renowned leader in the field of obstetrics, stated that “human health is shaped to a great extent during intrauterine life and prenatal pollution is a threat for the health of future generations”. Such an accumulation of research demonstrates that there are enormous implications in terms of public health – nothing is more important today than the health and wellbeing of pregnant women. We need to address the importance of nutrition before the conception of the baby, as a way to prepare the intrauterine environment.
One important factor that Dr. Odent considers is the effect of fat soluble synthetic chemicals on health. Over the years we have accumulated hundreds of chemicals in our adipose tissue that would not have been there 60 years ago as such chemicals didn’t exist. Many of these chemicals have a long half life and we do not have the enzymes required to break them down for excretion. During the time an embryo is nourished in the uterus, molecules used by cells to “talk” to each other affect the way that genes are expressed. This ability of the environment to “turn on” or “turn off” a gene is studied in the fascinating science called Epigenetics. This is a field that I am particularly interested in and there are many emerging studies that are shedding light on this.
Going back to fat soluble chemicals, many of them are biologically active at very small amounts, usually too small to be detected in standard testing procedures. Just because a substance is not detected on a test does not mean that it is harmless! We now have strong conclusive evidence that the increasing rates of male genital tract disorders […]
