Weight Issues & Fertility Not Just a Woman's Concern

Here we are again -- the end of year holidays. This time can have a real double whammy effect on people trying to conceive. First, there are the joyous gatherings... with babies everywhere. Then, there's the abundance of food, much of it rich and not-so-nutritious. You know, the kind that's so much fun to enjoy too much of...

Why is food a problem for people trying to get pregnant?

By now you've probably heard about the impact that weight has on a woman's fertility -- both too little and too much weight can result in ovulation disorders. Also, overweight women increase their surgical risks even for procedures as commonplace as egg retrieval. But there's more research now that says men need to keep an eye on their fatty food intake, too.

At this year's meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, researchers presented evidence that men with the highest intake of saturated fat had 41% fewer sperm than those who ate less. Also, men who ate more omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, specifically, had better sperm motility and morphology.

There is some good news on the research front for men who are overweight. The low testosterone levels that apparently go along with high BMI (body mass index) do respond positively to clomiphene citrate (Clomid).

But on this eve of one of our country's biggest binge-eating holidays, I'd recommend having a double helping of the carrots and lay off the gravy a little bit.

Also see:

When Fertility Really Is About Your Diet

Weight & Fertility (from my April 2007 newsletter)

Fertility Treatment for Cancer Patients Is Reality. Even If They Don't Know It Yet.

Houston is a major destination for people battling cancer. The city's medical center is renowned for providing the most advanced cancer care available, and patients come from around the world to access life-saving science and techniques. Besides the facilities in the centrally-located Texas Medical Center, there are also cancer treatment centers in outlying areas around Harris County where patients are receiving the benefits of cutting edge research put into clinical practice.

More cancer patients are surviving and going on to live healthy, happy lives. But many forms of cancer treatment result in infertility. Fortunately, the technology exists now to take steps to preserving a person's fertility for the future. Freezing embryos and freezing eggs top the list of techniques proving successful. And for patients who have types of cancer that are transmitted genetically, the technology is available to screen embryos for the related genes.

I've networked for several years now with organizations that assist cancer patients, groups like Livestrong's Fertile Hope program, the Young Survivors Coalition, and the Susan G. Koman Foundation. Speaking to groups about fertility preservation is always eye-opening for them and for me. I continue to hear the same sense of surprise and sometimes regret from participants who wish they had known before undergoing cancer treatment. I wish they had known, too.

If you know someone who's struggling with cancer, let them know that infertility doesn't have to be part of the result. Help me and other reproductive endocrinologists make fertility treatment available to cancer patients, by spreading the word about the hopeful possibilities.

Also see:

Women Want Working Options for Motherhood
On Lindsay Nohr Beck's presentation at ASRM 2009.


Fertility Preservation and Oncology
My thoughts about Jane Brody's column on how oncology is still behind the curve in addressing their patients' future fertility needs.

Why I Attend the Meetings of American Society for Reproductive Medicine

One of the reasons I felt compelled to move from straight OB/Gyn work to reproductive endocrinology-infertility (REI) is because of the constant advances in science. I find it exciting to apply techniques that have developed along a continuum from creative brainstorming on how to meet patients' fertility challenges all the way through validation in labs and clinics.

I'm heading to Denver this week with some of my Houston Fertility Center staff to attend the 66th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. ASRM is always a great place to catch up with colleagues from around the world and hear about the latest ways to treat our patients. This year promises to be even more enjoyable as we'll be honoring two pioneers of IVF, Dr. Howard Jones, who performed America's first IVF procedure, and Professor Robert Edwards, who recently was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in medicine for his development of IVF.

Bestowing accolades on esteemed professionals is just part of the reason for gathering. More importantly, I look forward to returning to Houston Fertility Center with new ideas to share with patients on clearing their family-building hurdles. Sometimes, even a simple treatment can be years in the making. Once new technology is available, a whole new group of once-infertile men and women can find themselves parents, and that's why I do what I do.

When It Comes to Cancer, We're All On the Same Team

Did you know that many women who survive cancer are unable to have children later? That's because life-saving cancer treatments can result in complete sterility. Fortunately, cancer survivors are increasingly speaking out about what they want out of life after illness. I've been privileged to offer these women fertility-sparing options so they can choose life both ways.

This Saturday, October 2nd, one of my sons is running in the 2010 Komen Houston Race for the Cure. A couple of years ago, I spoke to a gathering of women who form the Education Committee of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Houston, the nation's premiere advocacy and research organization. The questions from this particularly well-informed audience led me to realize that more general public education is needed.

Cancer survival increases steadily. Fertility treatments to allow survivors to become parents is available. What is still slowly developing is a pipeline of patient information and referral. Too many women find themselves on the infertile side of cancer treatment asking why they hadn't heard of fertility preservation before it was too late.

The Komen Foundation has funded great strides in research to help women survive cancer and go on to have fulfilled lives. I urge you to do what you can to continue supporting their mission. And spread the word yourself to friends affected by cancer: fertility preservation is not experimental science. It is medical care that is currently available.

Fertility Drug Company Offers IVF Miracles Education Funding

Once you've finally cleared your fertility hurdles to have that miracle baby, life's little related expenses start adding up fast. Educational costs aren't far behind those first birthday parties (and by the way, the staff of Houston Fertility Center really loves those party invitations!)

Since 2004, Ferring, manufacturer of fertility medications, has offered a chance at getting a little help to fund your child's academic needs. Houston Fertility Center patients who used Bravelle or Menopur can enter their essay in the My Little Miracle contest by December 31, 2010. This year's theme: If I Knew Then What I Know Now. The prizes: education funds of up to $10,000!

All the details can be found here, where you can also read the previous winners' entries for inspiration.

I'm honored to know my patients' miracle stories first-hand. I know some of them will make outstanding entries in the Ferring My Little Miracle contest.

Kneads Houston Brings Fertility Massage to Houston Fertility Center

You'll never hear me suggest that a fertility-challenged woman should "just relax"! There definitely are connections, though, between how a woman's body handles daily stress and how her reproductive system functions.

The mind-body connection to fertility is no longer new information. What IS new are the approaches to helping women find ways to relieve stress, soothe their bodies, and thereby enhance their ability to get pregnant.

Also new: Houston Fertility Center's connection with Kneads Houston. I asked Magen Weishut to talk a little about the services available to HFC patients:


What do you think about the connection between stress, fertility, and massage?

Fertility and pregnancy can be very stressful, and massage can significantly decrease your anxiety level. High stress levels alter signals to the brain's hormone center. As a result, the brain may not send out the reproductive hormones necessary to tell the ovaries when to release an egg, delaying ovulation.

Since stress has been shown to interfere with getting pregnant, it makes sense that reducing stress, through massage, improves odds of conceiving.

Is this a special 'kind' of massage for fertility?

The main goal of fertility massage is to get the full body relaxed, so the body can function at a more efficient rate. Fertility massage focuses on cleansing the body, enhancing the blood, opening the breath, and relaxing and integrating, respectively.

From the clients point of view, the main difference between a massage they may have had before and what they will recieve with us is massage of the abdomen. Massaging of the abdomen helps the circulation to the ovaries, uterus, and other organs.

The specialized therapists from Kneads Houston will see our patients either at Houston Fertility Center locations or home or office -- just ask!

European Women Happy to Freeze Eggs for Future

According to two studies presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction & Embryology (ESHRE), European women are embracing the idea of egg freezing as a means of having more reproductive control over their lives.

A small Belgian study of women average age 38 years found that half of them planned to freeze their eggs to lessen the pressure they feel to find the best parenting partner. Most foresaw using their eggs for conception after age 40.

A larger study in the UK saw eight in 10 medical students would be willing to freeze their eggs so that career growth could continue to take a front seat.

Women in the U.S. are also warming up to the idea of using assisted reproductive technology even when infertility isn't an issue in their life. Advances in the technology have made egg freezing with IVF more affordable and even covered by some women's insurance plans.

http://www.bioedge.org/index.php/bioethics/bioethics_article/9085/