US Denies Citizenship for In Vitro Fertilization Babies Born Overseas

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Posted by RobynNazarRN on March 20, 2012 at 2:03 pm

Children born to US citizens as a result of in vitro fertilization overseas may not be eligible for citizenship if a biological link between the parents and children cannot be established, reported USA Today online. This appalling legal loophole is a reminder of how US immigration laws are failing to keep up with reproductive technology.

Fertility Treatments Abroad and the Law

With the skyrocketing costs of infertility treatments at home and increasingly mobile culture of Americans, it is not all that uncommon for US citizens to receive infertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization, while abroad. In fact, infertility treatments are currently one of the fastest growing areas of medical tourism in other countries.

However, according to the US State Department, a child born overseas cannot be granted citizenship until a biological connection can be proved with at least one parent. Should the woman have used an egg donation to become pregnant via IVF, then this biological link cannot be established.

“There is an established process for U.S. parents who want to transfer citizenship to their adopted children, but no such avenue exists for parents whose children, conceived with someone else’s eggs or sperm, emerged from their wombs,” Wolgel said.

USA Today reports that the US State Department is currently “studying” whether or not it can begin reinterpreting the U.S. Immigration and nationality Act in order to include children born overseas due to artificial reproductive technology, such as in vitro fertilization and egg donation.

 

Posted in: IVF

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Can IVF Success Rates be Improved with New UK Technique?

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Posted by RobynNazarRN on March 15, 2012 at 2:14 pm

A new technique developed by researchers in Europe has been shown to significantly improve IVF success rates in the UK. However, can this same technique be applied in the US?

 

According to the study, which was published last week in the PLoS ONE journal, by using a new closed-incubator system in which embryos are handled in the in vitro fertilization process, IVF success rates were improved by up to 27%.

 

“By offering protection against external influences such as chemical pollutants, and protection from temperature and pH fluctuations, the [new] system facilitates consistent and reproducible outcomes in assisted conception treatments,” wrote the authors of the study in their report.

 

Normally, during and IVF procedure, between the time when embryos are created and transferred into the uterus, they are monitored in a laboratory setting. This monitoring process requires periodic removal from the incubators, and therefore exposure to the outside environment.

 

“Having a well-controlled environment in in vitro fertilization is very important for success,” explained Dr. Robert Stillman, medical director of Shady Grove Fertility Center, to TIME.

 

Can IVF Success Rates Be Improved in the US?

 

However, IVF success rates in the US are already generally quite a bit better than those in the UK. In Europe, due to healthcare restrictions and the widespread implementation of single embryo transfer policies, IVF success rates have been stuck in the low-30% for many years.

 

“The most recent European data show clinical IVF pregnancy rate per cycle of 32.5%,” said the Center for Human Reproduction in statement last month. “Conservatively assuming a miscarriage rate of 15%, this would translate into delivery rates of 26.6%. During the same time period, the US delivery rate was 40.7%.”

 

Similar advanced embryo incubator techniques, including the use of micro-environments and controlled video systems are already being employed in the US and therefore contribute to already significantly better IVF success rates.

 

“[These researchers] have the right idea,” concluded Dr. Stillman to TIME. “If you control the environment, you often get improvements in outcomes with IVF. But would we be able to increase our success rates by 27%? I think [the US is] already toward the max.”

Posted in: IVF

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Could Ovarian Stem Cells Help Older Women Become Pregnant?

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Posted by RobynNazarRN on February 27, 2012 at 4:17 pm

Contrary to more than a half a century of scientific belief that women will never have more eggs than the number they are born with, new research says that stem cells in the ovaries may be actually capable of creating new eggs later on in life.

 

This development could be the key to achieving pregnancy older women, who no longer have enough eggs to reproduce.

 

According to the study, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital used stem cells discovered in the ovaries of Japanese women to effectively create healthy human egg cells.

 

“This is a beginning of perhaps something that could bring in new opportunities,” told Dr. Avner Hershlag, chief of the Center for Human Reproduction in Manhasset, N.Y. to Health Day.

 

Up until now it has been believed that women are born with a set number of eggs, which slowly decreases with age. By the time may women reach 35 years of age the supply is diminished enough to create difficulties becoming pregnant. Therefore, getting pregnant at 45 with a woman’s own eggs, or in some desired cases at age 50 or more, presents a significant challenge.

 

Although this research is promising, experts say that it is still a long way off before we know if these eggs grown from stem cells will actually be healthy enough to create human babies. Furthermore, the cells used in this study were collected from women in their 20′s, not from older women who are usually the age group seeking infertility treatment.

 

“Detection of stem cells in ovaries of young women does not necessarily mean that such stem cells can also be found in ovaries of older women,” Dr. Norbert Gleicher of the CHR in New York point out. However, he added, “in a more optimistic interpretation of this study’s results, one can, however, also conclude that presence of these stem cells opens tremendous new opportunities for research and potential clinical applications in women with aging ovaries.”

Posted in: Pregnancy in Older Women

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Reality Star Bethenny Frankel Suffered a Miscarriage

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Posted by RobynNazarRN on February 21, 2012 at 10:29 am

The star of Bravo’s “Bethenny Ever After” revealed yesterday on the Today show that she recently miscarried her unborn child.

“We were pregnant with a second baby, and at eight weeks, I miscarried,” Bethenny Frankel told the show. “That was a very emotional experience.”

This would have been the second child for Frankel and her husband Jason, who already have a 21-month old daughter named Bryn.

Frankel fought tears while talking about the experience and acknowledged how difficult a miscarriage can be for a woman. After being asked if she would try again for a second child Frankel responded, “Until you become a woman, you don’t know the things that come with being a woman. I’m 41, and, I don’t know, it’s not really my choice. It’s not really my option, and the window’s closing, and it’s something I’m dealing with.”

Age and Miscarriage

While miscarriages are not uncommon, they become more likely the older a woman gets. Women who are attempting pregnancy at 45 or even starting at 35 are much more susceptible to a pregnancy loss than women of younger ages.

In most cases, the reason for the miscarriage is never investigated, however experts say that most are due to abnormalities of the developing baby.

“The principal reason for this increasing miscarriage rate with advancing age, lies in the fact that at least 60% of all miscarriages are due to genetic (i.e., chromosomal) abnormalities,” reads the website of the Center for Human Reproduction (CHR), a wold-renowned authority on fertility and miscarriage. “And such chromosomal abnormalities increase with advancing female age.”

While there is no clear answer on how to prevent miscarriage, the CHR says that there are options that are available, especially for women who suffer from repeat pregnancy losses.

For Frankel, with only one miscarriage, it is not unlikely that she couldn’t have a healthy pregnancy again. However, given her age, it is possible that she may continue to have difficulties.

But, for Frankel, she is remaining optimistic.

“Thinking about other women who can’t have their own baby, even have the first baby, I am really lucky. I have the most beautiful daughter in the world,” Frankel said.

Posted in: Miscarriage

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Egg Donor Use Safe for Women At 50 Year of Age, Study Reports

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Posted by RobynNazarRN on February 13, 2012 at 3:39 pm

Among all the arguments given against women using an egg donor at age 50 to become pregnant, safety can’t be counted as one of them.

 

According to a new study released by Dr. Mark Sauer of Columbia University Medical Center, women who use an egg donor at age 50 are no more at risk for pregnancy complications such as diabetes and preterm labor than women under the age of 42.

 

Egg donation is the process by which women who are unable to use their own eggs due to diminished ovarian reserve or menopause, can receive IVF treatment using the eggs of a selected egg donor.

 

While there are risks with every medical procedure and all women who become pregnant at older ages (35+) have increased risks for complications – there is no reason why a woman at 50 cannot do what is already being done for women at age 42.

 

“These women do really pretty well,” said Dr. Mark Sauer. “If they’re well-screened and well cared for, they really should do O.K.”


Women who have delayed starting a family until later in life have become one of the fastest growing groups seeking assisted reproductive treatment, such as egg donation, in order to become pregnant. And, thanks to the advances in reproductive medicine – many of them are successful.

However, not everyone is comfortable with helping older women to become pregnant. As noted in the recent New York Magazine article, “Is She Just Too Old for This?”, which displayed a white haired pregnant woman on the cover, there are social, financial, and emotional risks to embarking on pregnancy at older ages. “I lose my own personal comfort zone when you get over 60,” commented Dr. Richard Paulson who is the director of USC Fertility, referencing the physical, emotional and financial costs of child rearing while approaching retirement age.

Posted in: Egg Donation

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Government Should Stay Out of IVF, Says Docs

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Posted by RobynNazarRN on February 7, 2012 at 1:37 pm

In vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancy rates have been steadily rising in the US over the past few years, a stark contrast to European nations where dwindling success rates for this infertility treatment are believed to be a result of government bureaucracy.

 

According to a statement released by the Center for Human Reproduction (CHR) in New York City yesterday, the chances of women in the United States delivering a baby as a result of IVF infertility treatments is approximately 40.7%. However, for women in Europe receiving the same treatment, the birth rate is only a mere 26.6%.

 

This startling contrast has many experts wondering why such disparities could exist among nations which have equal access to available reproductive technology.

 

CHR’s founder Dr. Norbert Gleicher speculates that this is likely the direct result of European government policies which restrict the number of embryos which can be transferred during an IVF treatment cycle.

 

“A part of the reason is the recent propagation of single-embryo transfer (sET) in Europe,” explains Dr. Gleicher. “In Europe, fertility experts and governments alike consider the reduced risk of multiple pregnancies through sET a good enough reason to offset lower pregnancy chances caused by sET. Thus, many European countries mandate sET despite irrefutable evidence that patients value nothing more than better chances of pregnancy in choosing their infertility treatments.”

 

Single-embryo transfer policies were put in place with the hope of answering the question of how to prevent miscarriages among other fetal and maternal complications which come as a result of multiple pregnancies. However, according to Dr. Gleicher, these policies infringe upon individual rights, increase costs to patients, and reduce the chances of infertile couples achieving success with IVF treatments.

 

“If there is a lesson to be learned here,” says Dr. Gleicher, “it is that IVF pregnancy rates in the U.S. will continue to improve, as long as IVF research and clinical care remain largely unaffected by government interference, and primarily driven by success in the marketplace, as they have over the last few decades.”

 

 

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Premature Ovarian Aging vs. Premature Ovarian Failure Explained by Expert

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Posted by RobynNazarRN on January 16, 2012 at 11:42 am

When it comes to discussing female fertility issues, the terms “premature ovarian aging” and “premature ovarian failure” often are erroneously interchanged – which is why FertilityAuthority.com has called in the experts to explain.

In their featured section this week, the online fertility website is running an article with contributing commentary by world-renowned reproduction specialist Dr. Norbert Gleicher which explains how specialists determine whether or not a woman is in premature ovarian aging, or premature ovarian failure.

According to Dr. Gleicher, even some doctors are still misdiagnosing or overlooking premature ovarian aging – an error which could significantly impact a woman’s course of infertility treatment and/or chances of concieving a child.

I highly suggest the full reading here: Premature Ovarian Aging (POA) with Dr. Gleicher on FertilityAuthority.com

Posted in: POF

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Infertility Treatments Success Improved with Chinese Medicine, Says Study

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Posted by RobynNazarRN on January 14, 2012 at 12:04 pm

New research says that women who combine their infertility treatments with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) may have better luck at conceiving a child.

Researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel found that 65.5% of their participants who received both TMC and intrauterine insemination (IUI), a form of infertility treatment, conceived versus 39.4% who were given IUI alone.

Dr. Shahar Lev-Ari and Keren Sela of TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine performed this retroactive study on 123 women who were undergoing IUI infertility treatments. During the course of the IUI treatments, in which the partner’s or donor’s sperm is injected directly into the uterus of the woman, 29 of these women were also receiving weekly TCM treatments as well. The TMC treatments included weekly acupuncture sessions as well as regimes of Chinese herbal remedies, which consisted of powdered or raw Chinese herbs such as PeoniaAlbae and Chuanxiong adjusted in doses to meet the woman’s needs.

At the end of the study the researchers were surprised to find that not only did the women in the combined group have a significantly higher conception rate – but they also had a higher birth rate of healthy babies. However, what made the results even more surprising, was the age differences between the groups.

“The average age of the women in the study group was 39.4, while that of the control group was 37.1. Normally, the older the mother, the lower the pregnancy and delivery rates,” explain Dr. Lev-Ari and Sela in their report.

The researchers speculate that infertility treatments are enhanced by TCM due to the beliefs that TCM improves uterine blood flow, regulates menstrual cycles, and reduces stress. However, given the small size of the study further follow-up testing is needed before official recommendations can be made. There is currently no supported research as to whether TMC combined with other types of infertility treatments, such as women using egg donors, is beneficial.

This study was published in the Journal of Integrative Medicine.

Posted in: Infertility
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Expert Questions New Frozen Embryo Transfer Research, Saying Fresh is Still Best

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Posted by RobynNazarRN on January 7, 2012 at 11:20 am

New research presented at yesterday’s British Fertility Society Annual Meeting suggested that contrary to previous beliefs, babies born from infertility treatments using frozen embryo transfer were healthier than those born from fresh embryos. However, one New York infertility expert warns that these findings may be misleading.

For this study, London-based researcher Suzanne Cawood and her colleagues compared the gestation length and birth weight of babies either born as a result of a fresh or frozen embryo transfer in a common reproductive technology technique known as in vitro fertilization.

While fresh embryo transfers have been typically favored over frozen ones due to their higher pregnancy success rates, Cawood reported that babies of the frozen embryo transfer actually had longer gestation periods (less pre-term births) and higher birth weights.

“Our study suggests that babies born from frozen embryos have a significantly longer gestation period and are significantly heavier at birth compared to babies from fresh embryos,” said Cawood. “This is important because prematurity and low birth weight are both risk factors for poorer health later in life and are linked to higher rates of behavioural and learning difficulties. This means that resulting babies may potentially be healthier if frozen embryos are transferred rather than fresh embryos.”

However, for Dr. Norbert Gleicher, an internationally recognized infertility New York expert, these findings may be null. He argues that women who generate enough leftover eggs to freeze during the course of an ART treatment are generally healthier than those who only produce enough for fresh eggs. Therefore, the health of the babies conceived as a result is superior. In an email interview Dr. Gleicher wrote,

“I [suspect] that this study is, yet another example for how obvious statistical biases can affect outcomes and lead to absolutely incorrect statistical conclusions.”

“Women who end up having frozen embryos are usually, obviously, ‘healthier’ and/or ‘younger’ than women who do not have frozen embryos. Since embryos reflect the health status of their mothers, frozen embryos can be expected to reflect the healthiest mothers, while comparisons of embryos from fresh cycles with great likelihood will reflect mothers with ‘better’ and ‘poorer’ health status. Observations of bigger babies and longer pregnancies with frozen embryos may, therefore not be a reflection of using frozen embryos but may reflect that those embryos come from healthier mothers.”

“The only study design that would allow for the interpretation of results reported (and unlikely how the study was conducted- though that is speculation) would be if embryos from the same patients were assessed as fresh and frozen. If fresh and frozen embryos come from different patients (as I suspect), the study is [of no value].”

Cawood and her colleges do plan to follow up on their research to further investigate why they received the results that they did.

Posted in: Infertility

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Do Low Cost Donor Egg Programs Exist?

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Posted by RobynNazarRN on November 4, 2011 at 1:02 pm

Couples seeking infertility treatment know how astronomical the costs can be.  Unfortunately for many it isn’t until after several other rounds of (expensive) failed infertility treatments do they realize they are in need of donor eggs, which can be an incredibly expensive procedure.

Infertility clinics appear to be recognizing the financial dilemma that couples face when it comes to using donor eggs.  In fact, some clinics such as the Center for Human Reproduction in New York, NY are now offering “low cost donor egg” programs. These types of programs use frozen donor eggs as opposed to fresh ones used in standard procedures which tend to be more economical.

This particular program at the CHR is $14,950 which represents significant savings compared to standard programs which run upward of $20,000.

The catch is that frozen eggs are still considered a bit experimental therefore the success rates may not be as a high as with standard donor egg programs.

Posted in: Donor Egg
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