You may have heard about the "exclusive" story in The Sun newspaper yesterday, claiming that a couple had abandoned their IVF twins in hospital after their birth because they were the wrong sex.
According to the report, the couple had left their twin girls in hospital because they'd wanted boys, and had immediately asked when they could start trying IVF again in order to have a child of the right sex. Their ages added to the scandal, as the husband was in his early seventies and his wife in her late fifties. Not only that, they'd also travelled to India for their treatment, and were of Indian descent. Since the twins had been born, the paper claimed the parents hadn't been to see them at all.
As is often the case with this kind of story, there does seem to be another side to it. The local trust involved has denied the reports, claiming that in fact the babies have been moved from the hospital where they were born to another closer to the parent's home so that they could see them more easily. Another member of the family has suggested that language problems may have led to some kind of misunderstanding.
Whatever the truth, it is stories like this that muddy the waters of opinion about fertility treatment, and add to the general assumption that IVF is too often abused. The reality is that this kind of IVF scandal story makes the front page precisely because it occurs so infrequently, and that the details seem to suggest that this one may not have occurred at all.
There's an update on the story in The Times at www.timesonline.co.uk
Friday, 30 May 2008
Thursday, 29 May 2008
Commentary on funding
If you're struggling to pay for fertility treatment, at the end of a long NHS waiting list, or just wondering what the situation might be if you ever needed IVF, you'll be interested to read a commentary by Clare Brown, the Chief Executive of Infertility Network UK, about funding for treatment.
Four years after the government's own advisory body suggested those who needed IVF should have access to three funded treatment cycles, the reality is that in many areas people struggle to get any NHS treatment at all, and Clare's commentary highlights this very clearly. You can read it at www.bionews.org.uk
Four years after the government's own advisory body suggested those who needed IVF should have access to three funded treatment cycles, the reality is that in many areas people struggle to get any NHS treatment at all, and Clare's commentary highlights this very clearly. You can read it at www.bionews.org.uk
Sunday, 25 May 2008
Fertility risk for painters and decorators
There's always a lot of speculation about exposure to chemicals and infertility, and now a new study has shown that men who work as painters and decorators may be putting their fertility at risk if they use products containing glycol ethers.
The study surveyed men at fourteen fertility clinics across the UK, and found that painters and decorators who used products such as water-based paints containing glycol ethers on a regular basis were two and a half times more likely to have poor sperm motility. Sperm should swim forward in a straight line fairly quickly, and those with poor motility may move erratically, or just twitch about rather than moving ahead, which makes them less likely to fertilise an egg suggessfully.
The research was carried out by a team from the University of Sheffield, and published in the BMJ journal Occupational Environmental Medicine. You can read more about it on the University website at www.shef.ac.uk
The study surveyed men at fourteen fertility clinics across the UK, and found that painters and decorators who used products such as water-based paints containing glycol ethers on a regular basis were two and a half times more likely to have poor sperm motility. Sperm should swim forward in a straight line fairly quickly, and those with poor motility may move erratically, or just twitch about rather than moving ahead, which makes them less likely to fertilise an egg suggessfully.
The research was carried out by a team from the University of Sheffield, and published in the BMJ journal Occupational Environmental Medicine. You can read more about it on the University website at www.shef.ac.uk
Friday, 23 May 2008
Identifying premature menopause risk
One or two women in every hundred will experience a premature menopause, when their ovaries stop functioning many years before they should. We know that for some women this seems to be a hereditary condition, and if your mother had an early menopause, you are more at risk of experiencing the same thing yourself.
Now researchers from China and the United States have identified a specific gene mutation that they've found in a percentage of women who have a premature menopause, and they hope to be able to use this to work out those who are most at risk. Details of their research can be found at www.ajhg.org
if you think you may be likely to have an early menopause, are experiencing menopausal symptoms way before you should or if you already know that you are amongst the percentage of women who have a premature menopause, you can get help and support from the Daisy Network
Now researchers from China and the United States have identified a specific gene mutation that they've found in a percentage of women who have a premature menopause, and they hope to be able to use this to work out those who are most at risk. Details of their research can be found at www.ajhg.org
if you think you may be likely to have an early menopause, are experiencing menopausal symptoms way before you should or if you already know that you are amongst the percentage of women who have a premature menopause, you can get help and support from the Daisy Network
Thursday, 22 May 2008
Chemicals and future fertility
We're all exposed to more and more chemicals in our everyday lives, found in everything from packaging to pesticides, and there's growing interest in how, or whether, these can affect our fertility.
Now, a team at Nottingham University have been given a grant to study the effects of some of these toxins on female mammal reproduction. They'll be focusing on how potential problems may pass from mother to foetus by studying sheep. It is thought that exposure to these products may not damage the fertility of the woman herself, but could instead have an impact on a foetus growing in her womb. If this proves to be the case, we may be storing up fertility problems for future generations.
There's so much discussion about chemicals and fertility, that it will be fascinating to see what the team in Nottingham uncover. You can read more about the project at www.nottingham.ac.uk
Now, a team at Nottingham University have been given a grant to study the effects of some of these toxins on female mammal reproduction. They'll be focusing on how potential problems may pass from mother to foetus by studying sheep. It is thought that exposure to these products may not damage the fertility of the woman herself, but could instead have an impact on a foetus growing in her womb. If this proves to be the case, we may be storing up fertility problems for future generations.
There's so much discussion about chemicals and fertility, that it will be fascinating to see what the team in Nottingham uncover. You can read more about the project at www.nottingham.ac.uk
Monday, 19 May 2008
What counts as consent?
You may remember the case of Diane Blood, who had to fight to get the right to use her husband's sperm after he fell into a coma and died. She wasn't allowed to do this in the UK, and her legal battle went on for some years. Eventually, she was allowed to use his sperm, although she had to go abroad to Belgium to do so, and she went on to have two children.
Now another British woman is trying to follow down the same path. Her husband died suddenly, just a week after they'd been to see a consultant for fertility advice. She was granted permission by a judge to have sperm taken from her husband, but must now fight to be able to store and then use that sperm.
It's a tricky legal area, as it all focuses on consent, which someone clearly can't give after they've died, but in this case the woman must hope that the fact that they had been to see a specialist so shortly before his death must make his intentions at the time very clear. The woman's MP, Vince Cable , has now proposed a change in the law so that evidence from a fertility specialist in a case such as this can be admissable.
You can read more about the story here
Now another British woman is trying to follow down the same path. Her husband died suddenly, just a week after they'd been to see a consultant for fertility advice. She was granted permission by a judge to have sperm taken from her husband, but must now fight to be able to store and then use that sperm.
It's a tricky legal area, as it all focuses on consent, which someone clearly can't give after they've died, but in this case the woman must hope that the fact that they had been to see a specialist so shortly before his death must make his intentions at the time very clear. The woman's MP, Vince Cable , has now proposed a change in the law so that evidence from a fertility specialist in a case such as this can be admissable.
You can read more about the story here
Friday, 16 May 2008
Could you be a member of the HFEA?
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the body that regulates IVF in the UK, is looking for a number of new members. Some will be doctors or scientists who have experience in the field, but the majority of spaces on the authority are for lay members, who will have other relevant skills to offer. It's a fascinating opportunity for anyone who has an interest in this area, and if you want to find out more you can follow this link
That bill again
If you do have a particular interest in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, you may be interested to know that you can see the the amendments to the Bill under discussion at the Commons website at www.publications.parliament.uk . It probably won't make much sense if you're not following the progress of the Bill with a keen eye, but anyone who is may want to check it out!
Thursday, 15 May 2008
Talking and Telling for donor parents
You may have read here before about the "talking and telling" workshops for parents of donor conceived children, or anyone pregnant with a donor conceived baby. The series of events have now kicked off successfully with a first meeting in Oxford, and another this weekend in London. They've been filling up quickly, and the London dates are now full with waiting lists, but there are still some spaces at most of the other workshops if you haven't had a chance to book. The Donor Conception Network, who are responsible for organising the workshops, say they'll be arranging another date in London in the Autumn, and if you're interested in learning more about the workshops, or booking, you can do so via their website at www.donor-conception-network.org
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Waiting rooms
What is it about fertility clinic waiting rooms? I've spent a lot of time in them - both as a patient and whilst researching my books - and however different they may look, they all have that same weird atmosphere.
I suppose you could say that hospital waiting rooms are never pleasant places to be, but there's something particularly odd about fertility clinics. It's almost as if you can feel the hope and fear and anxiety in the air. When you're going through a treatment cycle, they soon start to feel like a second home. You often see the same people there, who you know are probably going through the same treatment at the same time. And yet, it's most unusual for anyone to break the ice and actually talk to anyone else. We're all there, in the same boat, experiencing the same emotional traumas, and yet we avoid looking one another in the eye, let alone smiling or having a chat. I did once have a conversation with someone in a clinic waiting room. Once. In more than six years of going to the clinic, and spending I hate to think how many hours in that always overcrowded room.
So what is the best strategy for getting through all the time you spend in the waiting room? I read something the other day that suggested taking a good book. That's a great idea if you can concentrate on a good book when you're waiting to find out how many follicles you've got and whether they're growing properly. Newspapers may be easier, or a magazine. Some clinics do have a television in the waiting room, but the last time I was in a waiting room with a TV, it was showing one of those house-finding programmes, with a woman who was heavily pregnant and in need of a new house because she wanted more space. No one dared to turn over. We all just focused on the chlamydia leaflets instead.
Perhaps the ideal solution to the waiting room problem is to take the fertility book or magazine you don't want to be seen reading on the train or in the office canteen. You'll be able to concentrate on something so relevant to your situation, and for once you don't have to worry what anyone else might think.
I suppose you could say that hospital waiting rooms are never pleasant places to be, but there's something particularly odd about fertility clinics. It's almost as if you can feel the hope and fear and anxiety in the air. When you're going through a treatment cycle, they soon start to feel like a second home. You often see the same people there, who you know are probably going through the same treatment at the same time. And yet, it's most unusual for anyone to break the ice and actually talk to anyone else. We're all there, in the same boat, experiencing the same emotional traumas, and yet we avoid looking one another in the eye, let alone smiling or having a chat. I did once have a conversation with someone in a clinic waiting room. Once. In more than six years of going to the clinic, and spending I hate to think how many hours in that always overcrowded room.
So what is the best strategy for getting through all the time you spend in the waiting room? I read something the other day that suggested taking a good book. That's a great idea if you can concentrate on a good book when you're waiting to find out how many follicles you've got and whether they're growing properly. Newspapers may be easier, or a magazine. Some clinics do have a television in the waiting room, but the last time I was in a waiting room with a TV, it was showing one of those house-finding programmes, with a woman who was heavily pregnant and in need of a new house because she wanted more space. No one dared to turn over. We all just focused on the chlamydia leaflets instead.
Perhaps the ideal solution to the waiting room problem is to take the fertility book or magazine you don't want to be seen reading on the train or in the office canteen. You'll be able to concentrate on something so relevant to your situation, and for once you don't have to worry what anyone else might think.
DNA testing
We've come along way in the thirty years since the first IVF baby was born, but the sticking point for scientists and doctors is implantation. We still can't be sure which embryos are most likely to settle into the womb lining and develop, and we don't know why some embryos that look beautiful in the laboratory don't lead to a successful pregnancy.
A research team in Australia have just published some interesting work, taking samples of cells from embryos that have been allowed to develop in the laboratory for about five days, to become what is known as blastocysts, or embryos that are ready to implant. The team used DNA fingerprinting on the cell samples, and the blastocysts were transferred to the patient's wombs as normal. They then took DNA samples from the babies that were born after this, and by comparing them were able to work out which blastocysts were most likely to implant.
It is still very early days with this kind of research, but it does give hope that at some point, fertility treatment will be able to become far more successful, and if we know which embryos or blastocysts are viable, it will also make it easier for patients to avoid the risks of multiple births. The results have been published in Human Reproduction
A research team in Australia have just published some interesting work, taking samples of cells from embryos that have been allowed to develop in the laboratory for about five days, to become what is known as blastocysts, or embryos that are ready to implant. The team used DNA fingerprinting on the cell samples, and the blastocysts were transferred to the patient's wombs as normal. They then took DNA samples from the babies that were born after this, and by comparing them were able to work out which blastocysts were most likely to implant.
It is still very early days with this kind of research, but it does give hope that at some point, fertility treatment will be able to become far more successful, and if we know which embryos or blastocysts are viable, it will also make it easier for patients to avoid the risks of multiple births. The results have been published in Human Reproduction
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
Commons debate on Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill
For anyone who is really interested in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, the full debate from the House of Commons can be read from Hansard here
Parliamentary debates are always rather long-winded and verbose, but if you're particularly interested in the progress any of the issues in the Bill, it may be worth wading through to find the subjects you want to follow.
Parliamentary debates are always rather long-winded and verbose, but if you're particularly interested in the progress any of the issues in the Bill, it may be worth wading through to find the subjects you want to follow.
Monday, 12 May 2008
MPs debate Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill
MPs are discussing the new Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill in the Commons today, with interest focusing on some of the more controversial proposals. It's the bill which is at the root of all our current rules and regulations about IVF and embryo research.
The MPs will be able to vote according to their conscience on issues such as hybrid embryos, which cause particular difficulty for Roman Catholics. Hybrid embryos are created using a mixture of human and animal genetic material, and have great potential to help in the treatment of genetic conditions. They are never allowed to develop, and there is no possibility of a hybrid embryo being implanted into a womb and becoming a viable pregnancy, but some feel even an embryo is a step too far.
Then there's the issue of what are known as "saviour siblings" where parents use diagnostic tests along with IVF to have a new baby who will be genetically matched to an existing child with serious medical problems. Bone marrow or cells from the umbilical cord of the new baby can then be used to help save the existing child.
And there's also the issue of the "need for a father". The curent law says clinics must consider this before carrying out IVF treatment. In reality, it's something clinics often choose to ignore anyway, as lesbian couples and single women have been having fertility treatment for many years. Getting rid of this is sometimes seen as an attack on the role of the father, which is perhaps a rather emotive response to an overdue update in order to stop the law being discriminatory.
It will be interesting to see how MPs choose to vote on the bill, and whether they are more swayed by the scientific arguments, religious opinion or their own instinctive qualms about some parts of the legislation. You can read more here
The MPs will be able to vote according to their conscience on issues such as hybrid embryos, which cause particular difficulty for Roman Catholics. Hybrid embryos are created using a mixture of human and animal genetic material, and have great potential to help in the treatment of genetic conditions. They are never allowed to develop, and there is no possibility of a hybrid embryo being implanted into a womb and becoming a viable pregnancy, but some feel even an embryo is a step too far.
Then there's the issue of what are known as "saviour siblings" where parents use diagnostic tests along with IVF to have a new baby who will be genetically matched to an existing child with serious medical problems. Bone marrow or cells from the umbilical cord of the new baby can then be used to help save the existing child.
And there's also the issue of the "need for a father". The curent law says clinics must consider this before carrying out IVF treatment. In reality, it's something clinics often choose to ignore anyway, as lesbian couples and single women have been having fertility treatment for many years. Getting rid of this is sometimes seen as an attack on the role of the father, which is perhaps a rather emotive response to an overdue update in order to stop the law being discriminatory.
It will be interesting to see how MPs choose to vote on the bill, and whether they are more swayed by the scientific arguments, religious opinion or their own instinctive qualms about some parts of the legislation. You can read more here
Friday, 9 May 2008
For anyone with polycystic ovary syndrome
If your life is affected by polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), you may be interested to know that Verity, the support network for women with PCOS, is organising a conference on the subject in the Autumn.
Held in Manchester on Saturday 11 October, the conference will include sessions on how acupuncture can help and on acne and PCOS as well as a talk from one of the country's leading fertility experts, Professor Bill Ledger of Sheffield University.
You can find out more about the conference, and book yourself a place, by visiting the network's website at www.verity-pcos.org.uk
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common cause of female fertility problems. Many women have lots of small cysts just below the surface of the ovaries, which are actually follicles that haven't developed properly. Generally the cycsts aren't accompanied by any other problems, but if you have PCOS, you will usually have irregular, infrequent or absent periods. The syndrome is sometimes associated with weight problems too, and other signs that can accompany it are unwanted facial or body hair and skin problems such as oily skin or acne.
Held in Manchester on Saturday 11 October, the conference will include sessions on how acupuncture can help and on acne and PCOS as well as a talk from one of the country's leading fertility experts, Professor Bill Ledger of Sheffield University.
You can find out more about the conference, and book yourself a place, by visiting the network's website at www.verity-pcos.org.uk
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common cause of female fertility problems. Many women have lots of small cysts just below the surface of the ovaries, which are actually follicles that haven't developed properly. Generally the cycsts aren't accompanied by any other problems, but if you have PCOS, you will usually have irregular, infrequent or absent periods. The syndrome is sometimes associated with weight problems too, and other signs that can accompany it are unwanted facial or body hair and skin problems such as oily skin or acne.
Thursday, 8 May 2008
Support for single women
If you're a single woman contemplating motherhood alone, you may be interested to know that the Donor Conception Network now has a web page for those in your situation. Not all of the single women in the network have fertility problems, but some do and it may be helpful just to talk to other women who are considering becoming single parents using donor sperm.
The network has contacts around the country and can put you in touch with other women in your area, which can be an invaluable source of support. You can see the new page on the Donor Conception Network website at www.donor-conception-network.org/single_wmen .
You may also be interested in the chapter in my book, The Complete Guide to Female Fertility which considers going it alone to become a mother.
The network has contacts around the country and can put you in touch with other women in your area, which can be an invaluable source of support. You can see the new page on the Donor Conception Network website at www.donor-conception-network.org/single_wmen .
You may also be interested in the chapter in my book, The Complete Guide to Female Fertility which considers going it alone to become a mother.
An idea when treatment doesn't work
When we think of using complementary therapies for infertility, we always imagine using them to try to help get over a fertility problem, to get our bodies into the best condition for treatment, and then perhaps to calm and relax us once we are being treated. What we may not think about is turning to a complementary therapist if the treatment doesn't work, but this can be the time when they are really very helpful.
Most of us feel completely devastated when the fertility treatment we've invested so much hope and money in doesn't work. When you've been spending lots of time going to and from the clinic, you may feel isolated and abandoned if your treatment is unsuccessful, and it can seem as if no one is interested any more. Friends and family don't understand how awful you feel, and however much they try to say the right thing, they often end up making you feel worse.
This is perhaps when you could really do with the calming and relaxing effects of some kind of complementary therapy, not to mention the time to talk that you often get in a session with a therapist. It was during an interview I did with a homeopath for my new book just a few days ago that she mentioned how helpful homeopathy could be for people who'd been through treatment that hadn't worked - and it made me wonder why there wasn't more interest in using complementary therapies in this way. Perhaps it's partly because we are too often looking to them for miracle cures, rather than the calming support which they can so often provide.
Most of us feel completely devastated when the fertility treatment we've invested so much hope and money in doesn't work. When you've been spending lots of time going to and from the clinic, you may feel isolated and abandoned if your treatment is unsuccessful, and it can seem as if no one is interested any more. Friends and family don't understand how awful you feel, and however much they try to say the right thing, they often end up making you feel worse.
This is perhaps when you could really do with the calming and relaxing effects of some kind of complementary therapy, not to mention the time to talk that you often get in a session with a therapist. It was during an interview I did with a homeopath for my new book just a few days ago that she mentioned how helpful homeopathy could be for people who'd been through treatment that hadn't worked - and it made me wonder why there wasn't more interest in using complementary therapies in this way. Perhaps it's partly because we are too often looking to them for miracle cures, rather than the calming support which they can so often provide.
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Surrogacy laws
Anyone who is either considering surrogacy, or has an interest in the subject, may be interested to read an online commentary on the subject written by solicitor Natalie Gamble, who specialises in fertility law.
Writing for BioNews, published by Progress Educational Trust, she puts a strong case for changes needed to the current surrogacy law. She explains how the "intended parents" - that is those who wish to have the child - are currently not considered the legal parents at birth, and explains why this makes things difficult. With more and more people travelling abroad for surrogacy arrangements which can be cheaper and easier to arrange outside the UK, she also details why this can cause real problems for both parents and for the child concerned. You can read her commentary at www.bionews.org.uk
Writing for BioNews, published by Progress Educational Trust, she puts a strong case for changes needed to the current surrogacy law. She explains how the "intended parents" - that is those who wish to have the child - are currently not considered the legal parents at birth, and explains why this makes things difficult. With more and more people travelling abroad for surrogacy arrangements which can be cheaper and easier to arrange outside the UK, she also details why this can cause real problems for both parents and for the child concerned. You can read her commentary at www.bionews.org.uk
Friday, 2 May 2008
Is ovarian tissue freezing for cancer patients safe?
When women who would still like to have children discover they have cancer, they are often offered the option of freezing eggs or ovarian tissue for use in the future, in order to preserve their fertility which is often destroyed by the cancer treatment regimes.
Now, a team of Israeli researchers have raised questions as to whether this could lead to women being re-infected if the tissue isn't properly screened before it is returned to the woman's body. They suggest that very few fertility clinics have the expertise to screen ovarian tissue properly to ensure that this can't occur, and have concluded that proper testing is necessary before tissue is put back into the body if doctors want to eliminate that risk.
The Israeli research has been published in the journal Human Reproduction
Now, a team of Israeli researchers have raised questions as to whether this could lead to women being re-infected if the tissue isn't properly screened before it is returned to the woman's body. They suggest that very few fertility clinics have the expertise to screen ovarian tissue properly to ensure that this can't occur, and have concluded that proper testing is necessary before tissue is put back into the body if doctors want to eliminate that risk.
The Israeli research has been published in the journal Human Reproduction
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