05.13.2013
Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis
In addition to testing for single gene mutation abnormalities, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is also used to detect a chromosomal abnormality when one partner has a balanced reciprocal translocation or a Robertsonian translocation. Chromosomes are string-like structures located in the nucleus of cells. Chromosomes contain genes that are made of DNA. All of our genetic [...]
05.10.2013
A Hand in the Circle of Life
“The object and color in the materials around us actually have a physical effect on us, on how we feel.” ~ Florence Nightingale The people who surround you in a journey such as fertility will help enable success. I try to practice this with each and every patient when providing care. The patients we see are [...]
05.03.2013
Lack of Sleep and Reduced Semen Quality
“A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” Underlying this anonymous, Irish proverb there is probably truth. Most recently, the association between lack of sleep and reduced semen quality has been examined. A cross-sectional study amongst over 900, healthy young men in Denmark has associated such disturbances with [...]
04.26.2013
IVF Pioneer Sir Robert Edwards
IVF pioneer Sir Robert Edwards died in his sleep on April 10, 2013. He was 87 years old. Professor Edwards and Dr. Patrick Steptoe (1913-1988) co-pioneered the first successful IVF cycle resulting in the birth of Louise Brown on July 25, 1978. Professor Edwards was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2010 [...]
04.24.2013
The Truth About Trying to Conceive
This week is Infertility Awareness Week and as such it is important to dispel many of the myths surrounding fertility by busting them with facts. Myths are defined as an unproven or false collective belief that is used to explain phenomena of nature. Facts are defined as something that actually exists or is in reality true. Here [...]
04.22.2013
National Infertility Awareness Week
April 21 -27 is National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAW). As a practicing Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist in the field for 25 years, I have witnessed many exciting innovations and improvements in the clinical care of infertility. When I started 25 years ago, we were unable to treat severe male infertility other than with donor [...]
04.18.2013
Detecting Chromosomal Abnormality With PGD
In addition to testing for single gene mutation abnormalities, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is also used to detect a chromosomal abnormality when one partner has a balanced reciprocal translocation or a Robertsonian translocation. Chromosomes are string-like structures located in the nucleus of cells. Chromosomes contain genes that are made of DNA. All of our genetic [...]
04.12.2013
Unclear Association Between Low Birth Weight and IVF
Infertility management and success has blossomed since the late 1970s. Technologic advances have spurned increased success and availability. In recent years, the concern for safety to both the child and mother during the IVF process and pregnancy has come to the forefront. In particular, the acknowledgement that adult disease may be rooted in gestational exposure [...]
04.11.2013
World’s First Live Birth Using Previously Frozen Eggs Cultured as Embryos in the Embryoscope®
The Fertility Centers of New England is excited to announce another milestone in assisted reproduction: the world’s first live birth from embryos cultured in the Embryoscope® using previously frozen eggs. Last year, the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) released a revised statement on the clinical benefits of egg freezing for fertility preservation. This change established egg freezing [...]
04.05.2013
STD Awareness Month: Preventable Causes of Infertility
April is STD Awareness Month. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that there are nearly 20 million new STD cases every year with half occurring in young adults ages 15-24. The cost of treatment is approximately $16 billion annually. Many STDs are treatable and most can be cured. The CDC recommends annual Chlamydia screening [...]
