Author: brigitte

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Who’s the Mother in Kansas?

brigitte

Angie Bauer and Jennifer Schreiner had been together for eight years. They had raised several adopted and foster kids. But they wanted a baby of their own. They tried a sperm bank, but their doctor, according to Bauer, refused to sign a document saying they were fit to raise a child. So they posted an ad on Craigslist.

William Marotta, a fellow foster parent, answered the ad. He and his wife exchanged emails with the couple and visited their home. He wanted to be sure that the child would be well cared for. In March 2009, he donated his sperm, waived compensation, and signed a contract renouncing parental rights and responsibilities. Schreiner carried the pregnancy. Nine months later, she and Bauer had their baby girl. Read full article.

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Scientists Relieved As Supreme Court Passes Over Case Against Embryonic Stem Cell Research

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In light of yesterday’s refusal by the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case that could have prohibited further government funding of embryonic stem cell research on ethical grounds, a sigh of relief was expressed by many leaders in the field.

Doug Melton, co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute , said, “We couldn’t be happier that this frivolous, but at the same time potentially devastating distraction is behind us, and we can once again focus all our attention on advancing all forms of stem cell science, including research using embryonic stem cells – which are the gold standard against which we measure other types.”

Robert Lanza, chief science officer for Advanced Cell Technology: “We’re obviously delighted with the Supreme Court’s decision,” he told me in an email. “However, it’s a shame it took this long to put this lawsuit to rest, not to mention the potentially life-saving research it held up or slowed in the process.”

Advanced Cell had a pretty good year from a scientific perspective.

The California-based company’s clinical trials for the treatment of Stargardt Disease with embryonic stem (ES) cells have proceeded without any safety issues. Plans to derive blood platelets from reprogrammed, or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells), have also been submitted to the FDA for approval. Read full article.

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Fertility doctor quits insemination after sperm mix-ups

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A renowned fertility doctor in Ottawa has quit artificially inseminating women as he prepares to face a disciplinary hearing for allegedly failing to use the correct sperm in three separate cases.

Dr. Norman Barwin, 71, has worked at the Broadview Fertility Clinic for more than three decades, during which time he received an Order of Canada and a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal for his work.

But in the last couple of years, Barwin has been accused of inseminating three different Ottawa women with sperm from men who were not the chosen surrogates, according to the notice of hearing from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO).

That led to two separate $1-million lawsuits filed by women from separate cases in 2004 and 2006 that were reported by CBC News in September 2010.

The mothers claimed DNA tests proved the intended donors were not the fathers of their children. Read full article.

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Memory Problems in Menopause Most Severe First Year After Last Period

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Memory problems experienced by women as they approach and go through menopause appear to be most severe during the first stage of post-menopause, according to a new study published in the journal Menopause.

“Women going through menopausal transition have long complained of cognitive difficulties such as keeping track of information and struggling with mental tasks that would have otherwise been routine,” said lead author Miriam Weber, Ph.D., a neuropsychologist at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC).

“This study suggests that these problems not only exist but become most evident in women in the first year following their final menstrual period.”

For the study, researchers tracked 117 women who took a variety of tests assessing their cognitive skills.  The participants reported on menopause-related symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep problems,depression and anxiety, and gave a sample of blood to determine current levels of estradiol (an indicator of estrogen levels) and follicle-stimulating hormone.

Results were analyzed to see if there were group differences in cognitive performance, and if these differences were linked to menopausal symptoms. Read full article.

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Saturated fat tied to sinking sperm counts in Danes

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NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Saturated fats, like those found in rich cheeses and meats, may do more than weigh men down after a meal – a new study also links them to dwindling sperm counts.

Researchers found that young Danish men who ate the most saturated fats had a 38 percent lower concentration of sperm and 41 percent lower sperm counts in their semen than those who ate the least fat.

“We cannot say that it has a causal effect, but I think other studies have shown that saturated fat intake has shown a connection to other problems and now also for sperm count,” said Tina Jensen, the study’s lead author from Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen.

The new research is not the first to connect diet and other lifestyle factors to sperm production and quality.

In 2011, Brazilian researchers found eating more grains – such as wheat, oats or barley – was associated with improved sperm concentration and motility, and fruit was also linked to a speed and agility boost in sperm (see Reuters Health story of November 18, 2011 here: http://reut.rs/TBfCrA).

But that study and most others looked at these associations using data on men seeking fertility treatments, which may not be representative of all men. Read full article.

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Congress Approves Year Long Doc Fix in Fiscal Cliff Deal

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Late New Year’s Day, the U.S. House of Representatives followed the Senate’s lead and voted to approve the American Taxpayer Relief Act, averting the so called fiscal cliff. Included in the legislation is a provision to stop a scheduled 26.5% payment cut in Medicare physician payments. However, the doc fix, as it is referred to, will expire at the end of 2013. The reduction for doctors comes from a payment formula in a 1997 deficit reduction law which provided doctors with modest pay increases in the early years, but which resulted in huge cuts in subsequent years. Congress has staved off the scheduled cuts with short term fixes for several years, but physicians’ groups, including ASRM, have been seeking a permanent solution to the formula. Read full article.

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Lesser known causes may come into play for couples battling infertility

brigitte

AUSTIN — Infertility is a common problem among many couples trying to have children. Sometimes the causes are well known, but frequently the cause can be surprising.

Candace Biersmith was in her late-30’s when she and her husband decided it was time to have children.

“My husband and I had actually been together 18 years,” she said. “It was something we really didn’t decide until we got into our late 30’s to have children. We thought we would just be one of those couples that didn’t have children and traveled. That was something I really had to think about it and decide that I didn’t want to live my life and not have children.”

After a year and a half of trying without success, Biersmith knew the clock was ticking.

“Being an older female I did want to check into seeing what my options were, because I didn’t have five to 10 years to wait for it happen on its own,” Biersmith said.

So Biersmith made an appointment with Dr. Thomas Vaughn — a fertility specialist– with the Texas Fertility Center. Vaughn explained a variety of things can negatively impact a couple’s fertility, some known, some not so well known.  Read full article.

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Judge rules for Domino’s Farms in contraception coverage case

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Detroit — The founder of Domino’s Pizza won’t be subject to a new federal health care law requiring contraception coverage for employees while a lawsuit he filed challenging the new mandate is pending, a judge has ruled.

U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence P. Zatkoff on Thursday granted an emergency motion by Tom Monaghan to temporarily halt the enforcement of the federal Health and Human Services mandate.

Monaghan, a devout Roman Catholic, and the Domino’s Farms Corp. sued the federal government, alleging the law violates their rights and asking the court to strike it down.

“It was the best case scenario for us,” said Erin Mersino of the Ann Arbor-based Thomas More Law Center, the lead attorney on Monaghan’s case. “It was a favorable opinion, and we are very happy for our clients.”

The lawsuit is among 11 others nationwide challenging the new mandate that became law in August.

Zatkoff’s ruling halts enforcement of the mandate against Monaghan and his property management company, of which he is the sole owner and shareholder.

Domino’s Farms Corp. manages an office complex owned by Monaghan and is not affiliated with Domino’s Pizza. Monaghan sold the pizza company in 1998.

If any of the courts rule the preventative care provision in the federal health care act is unconstitutional, it would not eliminate the law, but force Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to retool it. Read full article.

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Activists: Topeka sperm donor case opportunity for change

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By Aly Van Dyke

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

As divisive as Kansas’ child support claim against a sperm donor to a lesbian couple is, activists on both sides of the issue can agree on a couple of things: first, that the case is an opportunity for change, and second, that its implications reach beyond same sex unions.

Organizations that support gay and lesbian rights say the claim is politically motivated but can be used as an opportunity to give rights to same sex partners.

For conservative groups, it is a chance for Kansas to reinforce its laws protecting traditional marriage. They offered arguments about how same sex parenthood is damaging to the children to such unions and supported the state’s claim against sperm donor William Marotta, 46.

But both sides said the issue currently set before the Shawnee County District Court goes beyond the usual arguments surrounding the legalization of gay marriage in America. It deals with adoption and the relatively untouched issue of artificial insemination — and, as such, has implications for heterosexual couples as well. Read full article.

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Tia Mowry Opens Up About Her Battle With Endometriosis

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Actress Tia Mowry has opened up about her long and painful battle with endometriosis which prompted her to undergo two operations in a bid to have children.

The 34-year-old Sister, Sister star and her husband Cory Hardrict welcomed a son named Cree last June, and Mowry has now revealed she once feared she would never become a mother after being diagnosed with the gynecological condition.

Mowry found out about her condition at the age of 27 and she underwent two surgeries in a bid to ease her pain and help increase her chances of having children.

In a blog post for Ivillage.com, she writes, “I was 27 years old when I was diagnosed with endometriosis… I knew nothing about it… The simple explanation of this: endometriosis is an abnormal growth of cells from the lining of your uterus that appear outside of the uterine cavity… It was a condition that could potentially prevent me from having children. I was devastated.”

“You see, now married, having kids was on my radar and I was informed that surgery could help! So, surgery seemed to be my only option. The operation was successful, however, two years later the pain returned.”

Mowry underwent a second operation and was advised to alter her diet to help with her condition, and she is convinced the lifestyle changes helped her fall pregnant. Read full article.