New male home fertility test may be available from next year

Scientists have developed a first-of-its-kind portable fertility test kit that allows men to monitor the quality of their sperm from the privacy of their own homes, and it may be available by early next year. The fertility test developed by scientists from Sandia National Laboratories could gauge a man's sperm quality within a few minutes. According to researchers, Greg Sommer and Ulrich Schaff, the diagnostic kit allows men to self-test for sperm quality in just five minutes with a few drops of semen. "It allows men to test and track their fertility from the comfort and privacy of their own homes. It's a portable, easy-to-use diagnostic system with the accuracy of a clinical lab test," Sommer told the Albuquerque Journal. Researchers said the device, called TrakFertility, could be available in the market by early 2015, after the company receives regulatory approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The device would provide an ongoing home diagnostic for men to regularly monitor semen quality as they take steps to improve fertility, researchers said. "It would be like using a scale to follow weight, only in this case, men would track changes in their fertility," Sommer said. The company is also developing a mobile app to help men track and analyse the results of their tests and communicate about them with their doctors. Sommer said the goal is to broaden today's focus on women's fertility to include the other side of the equation. "We want to help people conceive in a way never done before," he said. "The market today is completely focused on females to monitor hormones, temperatures and so forth for peak fertility windows each month. But one of every five men has low-sperm counts that can impair conception," said Sommer. Article: 28th April 2014 www.financialexpress.com

Trauma of life is passed down in SPERM to future generations

The children of people who have experienced extremely traumatic events are more likely to develop mental health problems. And new research shows this is because experiencing trauma leads to changes in the sperm. These changes can cause a man’s children to develop bipolar disorder and are so strong they can even influence the man’s grandchildren. Psychologists have long known that traumatic experiences can induce behavioural disorders that are passed down from one generation to the next. However, they are only just beginning to understand how this happens. Researchers at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich now think they have come one step closer to understanding how the effects of traumas can be passed down the generations. The researchers found that short RNA molecules – molecules that perform a wide range of vital roles in the body - are made from DNA by enzymes that read specific sections of the DNA and use them as template to produce corresponding RNAs. Other enzymes then trim these RNAs into mature forms. Cells naturally contain a large number of different short RNA molecules called microRNAs. They have regulatory functions, such as controlling how many copies of a particular protein are made. The researchers studied the number and kind of microRNAs expressed by adult mice exposed to traumatic conditions in early life and compared them with non-traumatised mice. They discovered that traumatic stress alters the amount of several microRNAs in the blood, brain and sperm – while some microRNAs were produced in excess, others were lower than in the corresponding tissues or cells of control animals. These alterations resulted in misregulation of cellular processes normally controlled by these microRNAs. After traumatic experiences, the mice behaved markedly differently - they partly lost their natural aversion to open spaces and bright light and showed symptoms of depression. These behavioural symptoms were also transferred to the next generation via sperm, even though the offspring were not exposed to any traumatic stress themselves. The metabolisms of the offspring of stressed mice were also impaired - their insulin and blood sugar levels were lower than in the offspring of non-traumatised parents. ‘We were able to demonstrate for the first time that traumatic experiences affect metabolism in the long-term and that these changes are hereditary,’ said Professor Isabelle Mansuy. ‘With the imbalance in microRNAs in sperm, we have discovered a key factor through which trauma can be passed on.’ However, certain questions remain open, such as how the dysregulation in short RNAs comes about. Professor Mansuy said: ‘Most likely, it is part of a chain of events that begins with the body producing too many stress hormones.’ Importantly, acquired traits other than those induced by trauma could also be inherited through similar mechanisms, the researcher suspects. Article: 23rd April 2014 www.dailymail.co.uk

11 Myths doctors hear about fertility and getting pregnant

Many couples spend years trying not to get pregnant, so it's only understandable that they may have a few issues when it comes to trying to have a child. Just like when you become a parent, there is no written manual on how to get pregnant. For one in six couples, infertility issues are an obstacle to parenthood. Infertility does not discriminate. We see patients of all ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. They are smart, hard-working and determined to have a family. However, many do not understand their personal fertility and the factors that affect fertility potential. During National Infertility Awareness Week, we turn our efforts to helping those who hope for a family. The more that men and women know about the realities of fertility, the more effectively they can have a baby, often without our help. These are the most common misconceptions we hear during patient appointments. 1. 'He doesn't have any fertility problems; he's already a dad.' Contrary to popular belief, male fertility is finite. Similar to female fertility, male fertility decreases with age, particularly after age 40. Researchers have found a direct link between paternal age and an increased risk of autism and schizophrenia. Men pass along as many as four times more genetic mutations compared with mothers. As a man ages, the concentration of mobile, healthy semen and semen volume overall will decrease. 2. 'All the women in my family had more babies in their 40s, so I am fine.' Although family fertility history is taken into account during treatment, it can neither help nor hinder fertility potential. Previous successful pregnancies also do not signify a bump-free conception route. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11% of couples experience secondary infertility, which is defined as a couple with a child being unable to conceive again after a year. Once a woman hits 40, there is a less than 5% chance (PDF) she will get pregnant in any given month (compared with 20% at age 30). 3. 'I smoke, but I don't have to give it up until I'm pregnant.' The American Society for Reproductive Medicine estimates that up to 13% of female infertility diagnoses are due to smoking. Believe it or not, smoking as few as five cigarettes a day each has been associated with lower fertility rates in both men and women. 4. 'We have sex within 24 hours after ovulation.' After ovulation has ended, becoming pregnant is impossible. Ovulation -- when an egg drops from the ovary into the fallopian tubes -- occurs once a month, roughly seven to 10 days before a woman's period. For pregnancy to occur, sperm must meet an egg during this one- to two-day time period. To boost your odds, have sex before and during ovulation, as sperm can survive in the reproductive tract for three days. If a woman's monthly cycles are irregular, visit a specialist to discuss ovulation. Ovulatory disorders are the most common infertility diagnosis for women. 5. 'I don't have to worry about my eggs until I'm 40.' At birth, a woman has 7 million eggs, which slims down to 400,000 at the onset of puberty. During a woman's lifetime, approximately 400 to 500 eggs will be released. As a woman ages, the ovarian reserve declines. A woman's egg supply takes a rapid decline in the late 20s, again in the 30s and then most notably after age 35. 6. 'I do yoga and exercise. I'm in great shape. Age won't affect my fertility.' A healthy body and mind can boost fertility, but it cannot reverse the age of ovaries and semen. For both men and women, age is a critical component of fertility potential. 7. 'I know we could stand to lose weight, but ...' When men or women carry extra weight, hormonal shifts occur in the body that can affect ovulation and semen production. The great news is that couples can team up to lose weight, become active together and boost their fertility. Although it is estimated that 70% of women with infertility are also obese, losing as little as 5% to 10% of body weight can boost fertility in men and women. 8. 'Only women need to take supplements before a pregnancy.' It has long been known that women should take folic acid to prevent certain birth defects, but folic acid is now known to be an important supplement in male fertility. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found that men had a higher rate of chromosomal abnormalities in their sperm when their diet was low in folic acid. Coenzyme Q10 has also been found to increase sperm count and sperm motility, and vitamin E also improves low sperm count. 9. 'STDs affect my health, but they don't affect trying to have a baby.' For both men and women, sexually transmitted diseases can affect the ability to have children. STDs can cause scarring and blockage of the male reproductive structures. If STDs go untreated in women, they can lead to an episode of pelvic inflammatory disease, which is a leading cause of infertility. 10. 'It doesn't matter how much coffee I drink.' Believe it or not, that venti at Starbucks might be working against you. One study found that "women who consumed more than the equivalent of one cup of coffee per day were half as likely to become pregnant, per cycle, as women who drank less." Caffeine can decrease fertility, so be sure to limit intake. It's better to opt for decaffeinated or half-caffeinated coffee, and remember there is caffeine in tea, colas and chocolate. 11. 'We have sex every single day so we can get pregnant faster.' Having sex every day only slightly increases pregnancy when compared with having sex every other day, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. If a man has a normal sperm count, sperm concentration does not decrease during daily sex. Article: 22nd April 2014 www.cnn.com

Rise in women freezing their eggs at fertility clinics

There has been a huge rise in the number of British women freezing their eggs in private fertility clinics. But although many pay up to £6,000 for the initial harvesting - and then freezing - of their eggs, and a further £250 for an annual 'storage fee,' these women have just eight per cent chance of conceiving. According to new figures shown to the Sunday Times, just 21 babies were born out of 253 fertility cycles between 1991 and 2012. Fertility expert Lord Winston told Hannah Summers of the newspaper that by the age of 40, women's chances of having successful in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) are the same as her getting pregnant naturally. 'Egg freezing remains an experimental treatment which can only be justified when there is no alternative,' he said. 'There are innumerable clinics that will freeze your eggs for a handsome fee but the justification for this is highly dubious.' Celine Dion famously conceived twins in 2009 after having her eggs frozen for eight years Egg freezing has been available in the UK for more than a decade, though the treatment is still considered relatively new. Many people feel uncomfortable with the notion of women doing it for 'social' reasons, rather than medical conditions. It is estimated that 70 per cent of the 2,262 women who had 20,465 eggs frozen in the 1991 and 2012 time period, did so for social reasons, rather than medial ones. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is the statutory body that regulates fertility treatments including IVF and the storage of sperm and eggs. One of its responsibilities is to give advice and information to people seeking licensed treatment and to the general public. The Sunday Times also reported the latest data from HFEA said that 284 women froze their eggs in 2009. The figure rose to 580 in 2012. The singer, Celine Dion, famously froze her eggs for eight years in New York, before successfully conceiving in 2009 at the age of 41. Celine fell pregnant following her sixth IVF attempt and turning to acupuncture to improve her chances of conceiving. She gave birth to twin sons Eddy and Nelson in 2010 and called them her 'miracle' babies. In egg freezing, eggs can be stored for up to ten years in liquid nitrogen at 196 degrees centigrade - rather like a deep freeze. When a woman decides the time is right for a baby, the egg is thawed slowly which involves a carefully controlled drop in temperature before being warmed up again. After being injected with sperm, the egg is then inserted into her uterus - rather like a smear test. If the technique is successful, the patient then becomes pregnant as normal. Article: 20th April 2014 www.dailymail.co.uk

Does a baby's name impact their future life?

When parents spend hours poring over baby name books they may imagine that their choice will have a major impact on their child's life. But do names make a difference? Two recent books put this idea under the microscope. Choosing a name for a child is complicated. Not only should it sound right with the family name but future nicknames - good and bad - need to be taken into consideration. A name might honour a favourite grandparent, but it will also have a forgotten meaning to be unearthed in books, and dubious modern associations to be checked on Google. Dalton Conley and his wife, Natalie Jeremijenko, were halfway through this pleasant but painstaking process when their baby girl was born, two months premature. "We had narrowed down the selections to a bunch of E- names, but we couldn't ultimately decide," says Conley, who lives in New York. "Then we came up with the idea of, 'Let's just constrain the first degree of freedom. Let's just give her the first letter and then she can decide when she's old enough what it stands for.'" And so, E was born. Now 16, she hasn't yet felt the need to extend her first name. "I think once you're given a name, you get used to it - it's part of you," she says. E's little brother, meanwhile, Yo Xing Heyno Augustus Eisner Alexander Weiser Knuckles, did take up his parents' offer to change his name. He added the Heyno and Knuckles when he was four, and his parents made the changes official. "I have been called a child abuser online," says Dalton Conley, the author of Parentology: Everything You Wanted to Know about the Science of Raising Children but Were Too Exhausted to Ask. "I don't think I've saddled them with some horrible burden. They like the fact that they have unique names now." Over the last 70 years, researchers have tried to gauge the effect on an individual of having an unusual name. It is thought that our identity is partly shaped by the way we are treated by other people - a concept psychologists call the "looking-glass self" - and our name has the potential to colour our interactions with society. Early studies found that men with uncommon first names were more likely to drop out of school and be lonely later in life. One study found that psychiatric patients with more unusual names tended to be more disturbed. But more recent work has presented a mixed picture. Richard Zweigenhaft, a psychologist at Guilford College in the US, pointed out that wealthy, oddly-named Americans are more likely to find themselves in Who's Who. He found no consistent bad effects of having a strange name, but noted that both common and unusual names are sometimes deemed desirable. Conley, who is a sociologist at New York University, says that children with unusual names may learn impulse control because they may be teased or get used to people asking about their names. "They actually benefit from that experience by learning to control their emotions or their impulses, which is of course a great skill for success." But for the main part, he says, the effect of a name on its bearer rarely amounts to more than the effect of being raised by parents who would choose such a name. A similar conclusion is reached by Gregory Clark, the economist behind the book The Son Also Rises: Surnames and the History of Social Mobility. Although the main focus of his research is family names, Clark has looked at first names too - specifically, the names of 14,449 freshmen students attending the elite University of Oxford between 2008-2013. By contrasting the incidence of first names in the Oxford sample with their incidence among the general population (of the same age), he calculated the probability, relative to average, that a person given a particular name would go to Oxford. (For the purposes of his research he excluded students with non-English or Welsh surnames.) Article: 11th April 2014 www.bbcnews.co.uk

Babies cry to stop mum getting pregnant again too quickly

A baby bawling at night can strain its parents’ relationship to breaking point. But far from being an unfortunate side effect, researchers claim it is the biological reason for the infant’s crying. Babies are programmed to monopolise their mother’s attention, say Harvard University scientists – and making parents too tired for a romantic night together is a way of preventing the arrival of a new sibling. The report claims breastfeeding at night also extends a mother’s post-birth infertility, known as amenorrhoea. Author Professor David Haig said: ‘Night waking increases in the second half of the first year of infant life and is more pronounced for breastfed babies.’ He said this suggests waking at night to suckle is an ‘adaptation of infants to extend their mother’s amenorrhoea, thus delaying the birth of a younger sibling and enhancing infant survival’. The evolutionary biologist added: ‘Natural selection will have preserved … behaviours of infants that suppress ovarian function in the mothers because infants have benefited from delay of the next birth. Maternal fatigue can be seen as an integral part of an infant’s strategy to extend the IBI [inter-birth interval].’ His study adds: 'Short delays until the birth of a younger sib are associated with increased mortality of infants and toddlers, especially in environments of resource scarcity and rampant infectious disease. 'More frequent and more intense nursing, especially at night, [is] associated with prolonged infertility. 'Natural selection will have preserved suckling and sleeping behaviours of infants that suppress ovarian function in the mothers because infants have benefited from delay of the next birth. 'Maternal fatigue can be seen as an integral part of an infant’s strategy to extend the IBI. 'Breastfeeding has many virtues but, for many mothers, a good night’s sleep is not counted among them.' Siobhan Freegard, founder of Britain’s biggest parenting website Netmums said: 'The arrival of a new baby tests even the strongest relationships, so parents will be amused to find out the exhaustion and sleepless nights are all part of Mother Nature’s plan. 'Spacing out siblings would give the mother more time to recover from the birth and make young children more independent boosting their chances of survival, so this research makes perfect sense. 'The last thing most frazzled new mums feel like is trying to conceive another child – and now they have the excuse that a limited love life in the first year is what nature wants.' A recent Japanese study claimed babies can fake crying to get the attention of their mother. Article: 13th April 2013 www.dailymail.co.uk

HFEA reports increase in lesbian couples conceiving at fertility clinics

The UK’s fertility regulator, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, has published its annual report on statistics and trends in UK fertility treatment. One of the headline points this year is a 36% rise in the numbers of lesbian couples conceiving through IVF and donor insemination at UK fertility clinics. As Natalie told the Independent and Family Law Week, the increase no doubt reflects recent changes to the law which have enabled lesbian couples to be named on birth certificates together, and enshrined equality principles in both service provision and NHS funding. We have come a long way since fertility clinics routinely denied fertility treatment to anyone apart from married couples, and the UK is now an excellent place to start a family together as a same sex couple. For the increasing numbers of lesbian couples having babies, getting clued up about the law in advance is always sensible. Couples who both want to be legal parents need to conceive through a clinic or marry/register as civil partners before they conceive. The law dictates when and how information about clinic sperm donors becomes available. And for those conceiving with known donors (whether at a clinic or privately at home) there can be complex legal issues if the relationships do not work out as envisaged. There is a wealth of free information for lesbian prospective parents on our website. Article: 30th March 2014 www.nataliegambleassociates.co.uk

First same-sex weddings have taken place after gay marriage now legal

The first same-sex weddings have taken place after gay marriage became legal in England and Wales at midnight. Politicians from the main parties have hailed the change in the law. David Cameron said the move sent a message that people were now equal "whether gay or straight", but some religious groups remain opposed. Scotland passed a similar law in February; the first same-sex marriages are expected there in October. Northern Ireland has no plans to follow suit. In an article for the Pink News website, the prime minister wrote: "This weekend is an important moment for our country. "It says we are a country that will continue to honour its proud traditions of respect, tolerance and equal worth." The law change would encourage young people unsure of their sexuality, he added. Later on Saturday morning, Mr Cameron tweeted: "Congratulations to the gay couples who have already been married - and my best wishes to those about to be on this historic day." Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said "Britain will be a different place" as a result. He congratulated his party for being part of the reform, saying: "If our change to the law means a single young man or young woman who wants to come out, but who is scared of what the world will say, now feels safer, stronger, taller - well, for me, getting into coalition government will have been worth it just for that." Labour leader Ed Miliband congratulated those planning to tie the knot. "This is an incredibly happy time for so many gay couples and lesbian couples who will be getting married, but it's an incredibly proud time for our country as well, recognising equal marriage in law," he said. However, he warned that the "battle for true equality" was not yet won. Article: 29th March 2014 www.bbc.co.uk

Five foods to boost your fertility

Let's talk about baby-making foods. No, not the aphrodisiacs that will get you and your sweetheart in the mood -- that part's on you (though it wouldn't hurt to flip through the "chocolate Viagra" chapter of my book “Eat It to Beat It”) -- but the foods linked to increased fertility in both men and women. Infertility affects about 12 percent of couples, a statistic attributed partly by some studies to an increasingly Western-style diet, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Adding these five foods to shopping cart can help you to pivot away from heavily processed food choices, and find your path to optimal health, and perhaps, Babyville. Walnuts Fertility discussions usually focus on women's aging ovaries, but we all know it takes two to tango. And research suggests that for men, a couple of handfuls of walnuts every day may be the ticket to stronger, faster, even prettier sperm. The study printed in the journal Biology of Reproduction looked at the effect of added polyunsaturated fatty acids on the sperm health of 117 healthy men aged 21 to 35. Sure enough, those that ate 75 grams of Omega-3 rich walnuts (about 2/3 cup, or 2 man handfuls) experienced improvement in sperm vitality, motility, and morphology. The nut-free control group experienced no changes. Most of us, men and women, can benefit from additional Omega 3s, so consider making walnuts a staple on your weekly grocery list. Ice Cream Ladies, you can now add "reproductive health" to the list of reasons you need to keep the freezer stocked with ice cream. A study published in the journal Human Reproduction suggests full-fat dairy may increase a woman's chances of ovulating. Researchers found that women enjoying a scoop of full-fat ice cream at least twice a week had a 38 percent lower risk of anovulatory infertility compared with women consuming ice cream less than once a week. Low-fat dairy, on the other hand, had the opposite effect. The results may seem to contradict standard nutritional advice, but researchers suggest skimming the fat from dairy alters its balance of sex hormones in a way that could tip the scales against ovulation. Carrots A study by Harvard researchers printed in the journal Fertility and Sterility found that produce rich in beta-carotene can improve sperm motility (its ability to swim toward an egg) by up to 8 percent. Carrots were singled out for their sperm-boosting properties. Luteine, an antioxidant found in leafy greens, had a similar effect, according to the study. So make like Bugs Bunny and get snacking. When it comes to male fertility, that’s what’s up, doc! Lentils An inexpensive form of vegetarian protein and fiber, lentils are also a rich source of iron, a mineral known to play a key role in reproductive health. In a well-cited Harvard School of Health study, women who got most of their iron from plant sources reduced their risk of infertility by 40 percent. Moreover, the higher the dose of the iron supplements, the lower the risk. Women who took the highest doses, more than 41 milligrams a day, reduced their risk of ovulatory infertility by 62 percent. Iron from meat didn't show the same benefits. While researchers don't recommend popping iron supplements as an aid to becoming pregnant, supplementing a well-balanced diet with a whole-food multivitamin may improve your overall health and, consequently, your baby-making prospects. Spinach Get the man in your life to start channeling Popeye, and you may soon have a baby on board. A study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility found that supplemental folic acid and zinc to increase sperm counts in men with reduced fertility. You can find sperm-boosting folic acid, the B9 vitamin, in leafy greens like spinach and kale. And lentils are a good source of zinc; one more reason to add them to your shopping list! Article: 7th April 2014 www.abcnews.go.com

Pride Angel Journey | The trouble with evenings

At some point, and I hazard a guess that it was about Week 3, our peaceful sleepy/hungry baby decided that evenings were a bit of a problem. Daytime was for sleeping and feeding; nighttime was for sleeping and feeding. But evenings were tricky old things, and were only really bearable if spent dangled over one of your two mummies' arms, in what is known in the parenting books as the 'Tiger in the Tree' position. The mummy of the proffered arm should be pacing the room and, if the pacing, tiger-carrying tree mummy happens to be 'Non-Milky Mummy' then 'Milky-Mummy' had better stand by for imminent feeding emergencies. Evenings did just seem to do something horrible to the lovely feed/sleep/feed/sleep cycle. And the longer the cycle was disrupted, the tireder our little baby got. Very tired babies cry a lot - but only twice did we resort to the calming effect of the cool nighttime air and pacing up and down the street after midnight carrying in the sling an exhausted Luna who was using her lasts reserves of energy to wail to the stars. And then at a certain point, some time between 10pm and 2am, suddenly she would feed to sleep and the lovely cycle would be back again until the next evening. And then at around nine weeks the evening trouble stopped altogether. The cycle, which albeit now included quite a bit of awake time in the day, would carry on through the evening, and even though bedtime had settled on a rather late 11pm, the time before that could be spent pleasantly - a drink of milk, a cuddle, a burp or two, a bit of nappy business...all very calm and content. So what was it about those evening? The weariness which comes upon one after spending a whole day feeding and sleeping? The threat of impending darkness and all the terrors that come with it - monsters and witches and creatures of the night? The knowledge that this ordinary day, almost over, was unique and will never be lived again? Of course, we will never know. Article: by Lindsey, West Yorkshire 2nd April 2014