New research from the US suggests that being exposed to air pollutants can decrease the chances of successful IVF - maybe a good excuse to take a long holiday if you're going through fertility treatment...
Women going through IVF had the air quality in their home monitored at specific stages during their first treatment cycle- more than 7,000 women were involved in the study which took place over a seven-year period. The findings showed lower likelihoods of a successful pregnancy in the women who had been exposed to higher levels of pollutants, in particular nitrogen oxide. Conversely, higher ozone levels seemed to show more chance of successful pregnancy.
It is thought that these effects could be mirrored more widely, and that exposure to pollutants may have an impact on all fertility, not just that of women going through IVF. More details can be found here
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
Tuesday, 6 April 2010
Donor sibling link
People who have been born as a result of donor conception will be able to contact others who share the same donor from today. Once they reach 18, those conceived through donor treatment can join the Donor Sibling Link, a new service launched by the HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority), which will enable them to get in touch with any genetic siblings who have also joined. As donors usually make more than one donation, there may be a number of genetic siblings in different families and this will allow them to find out about one another.
The Donor Sibling Link can only be used by those who were conceived using donor eggs, sperm or embryos and their parents or other family members are not able to access the information.
See more here
The Donor Sibling Link can only be used by those who were conceived using donor eggs, sperm or embryos and their parents or other family members are not able to access the information.
See more here
Friday, 2 April 2010
Important information for all UK IVF patients
You may not know that as from April 6, identifying details of anyone who has had IVF since 1991 may be available to researchers. Most people who've had IVF may be quite happy for researchers to be able to use identifying details from their records in order to carry out projects which could be beneficial to future patients, but there are others who don't tell anyone about their treatment and may be worried about this - especially as most people believed this information was confidential when they had IVF.
It is possible to opt out by using a form on the HFEA website but both you and your partner will need to opt out, and you will need to put in the dates of your treatment and where you had it.
There's more information here for anyone who wants to know more about this.
It is possible to opt out by using a form on the HFEA website but both you and your partner will need to opt out, and you will need to put in the dates of your treatment and where you had it.
There's more information here for anyone who wants to know more about this.
Thursday, 1 April 2010
Peckham miracle babies
The case of the "miracle" babies born to women attending a church in Peckham has been the subject of another BBC radio investigation today.
An "archbishop" who is wanted by the authorities in Kenya to face charges of stealing children is apparently still in the UK, where he had claimed to be able to help women who were often medically unable to have children. The women would go to Kenya and return with babies he claimed they'd given birth to, despite the fact that their DNA did not match that of their "parents".
It is a sad story of the exploitation of both poor Kenyan women and couples with fertility problems in the UK - see more here
An "archbishop" who is wanted by the authorities in Kenya to face charges of stealing children is apparently still in the UK, where he had claimed to be able to help women who were often medically unable to have children. The women would go to Kenya and return with babies he claimed they'd given birth to, despite the fact that their DNA did not match that of their "parents".
It is a sad story of the exploitation of both poor Kenyan women and couples with fertility problems in the UK - see more here