Many couples wonder if alternative medicine treatments, in the form of vitamins and mineral supplements, might help improve male fertility. According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, the evidence is still limited on whether — or how much — herbs or supplements might help.
Supplements that show some promise for improving sperm count or sperm quality include:
• Vitamin C
• Zinc
• Selenium
• Vitamin E
• Vitamin B-12
• Folic acid
• L-carnitine
• Vitamin C
• Beta carotene
Before taking any dietary supplements, talk to your doctor. Some supplements taken in high doses or for extended periods of time may be harmful or may interact with medicines you are already taking.
Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is the term used to describe when a woman’s ovaries stop working normally before she reaches the age of 40. It’s not the same as early or premature menopause. Many women with POI do not get monthly menstrual periods, or they have them irregularly. Problems with ovulation may make it difficult for women with POI to get pregnant.
In the past, POI used to be called “premature menopause” or “premature ovarian failure,” but those terms do not accurately describe what happens in a woman with POI. A woman who has gone through menopause will never have another normal period and cannot get pregnant. A woman with POI may still have periods, even though they might not come regularly, and she may still get pregnant.
If you have early symptoms of POI and want to have children, see a fertility specialist quickly.
Did you have a baby after POI? Share your experience here.
Spring brings many wonderful things, but allergies aren’t one of them. If you’re pregnant and have allergies or asthma, it’s important to keep your symptoms under control. But are your medicines safe to take while pregnant?
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics have released new vaccine guidelines for 2013. One change is a recommendation for women to receive a dose of the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine with each pregnancy. The vaccine should be given between 27 and 36 weeks of gestation.
This new recommendation is in response to growing numbers of pertussis cases. Pertussis can be fatal, especially in newborns.
Be sure to talk to your doctors about this vaccine.
Good news on the research front: A new study published in the April 2, 2013, online edition of Fertility and Sterility finds no link between fertility medications and increased risk of ovarian cancer.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, examined medical information on 1,900 women from an ongoing ovarian cancer study at the Mayo Clinic and compared 1,028 women with ovarian cancer to 872 women of similar age who did not have cancer. After adjusting for other factors that can increase risk for ovarian cancer, such as age and use of the birth control pill, the researchers found no difference in cancer rates between the groups.
A treatment pulled off the market 30 years ago has won Food and Drug Administration approval again as the only drug specifically designated to treat morning sickness.
The drug, once called Bendectin, was believed to have caused birth defects, but subsequent research has proved it safe. Now sold under a different name, Diclegis, the medication is the most effective known in treating this common side effect of pregnancy.
As with any medicine, talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits before starting treatment.
Dr. Robert Edwards, the physician who developed in vitro fertilization, died on April 10, 2013. He was 87. The British embryologist was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in medicine for his work, which resulted in the first IVF “test-tube” baby—Louise Brown, born in England in 1978—and provided the basis for genetic screening and stem cell research. More than 4 million IVF babies since have been born worldwide.
What’s the first step in preserving fertility for many young women? STD testing. Chlamydia and gonorrhea are important preventable causes of infertility.
Untreated, about 10-15% of women with chlamydia will develop pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Chlamydia can also cause fallopian tube infection without any symptoms. PID and “silent” infection in the upper genital tract may cause permanent damage to the fallopian tubes, uterus and surrounding tissues, which can lead to infertility.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Infection (CDC):
• An estimated 2.8 million cases of chlamydia and 718,000 cases of gonorrhea occur annually in the United States.
• Most women infected with chlamydia or gonorrhea have no symptoms.
The CDC recommends annual chlamydia screening for all sexually active females 25 and under and for women older than 25 with risk factors such as a new sex partner or multiple partners.
Diagnosed with unexplained infertility, this mother needed surgery and two rounds of in vitro fertilization to welcome her son in 2011. And now, thanks again to the Reproductive Science Center of New Jersey, she and her husband are expecting a daughter in July 2013.
“Everyone always made me feel very comfortable,” she says “We are very excited, thankful and grateful.”
What are your state’s laws regarding insurance coverage for infertility care? The American Society of Reproductive Medicine has compiled each state’s laws on its website.
Many couples wonder if alternative medicine treatments, in the form of vitamins and mineral supplements, might help improve male fertility. According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, the evidence is still limited on whether — or how much — herbs or supplements might help.
